Your Car, Toaster, Even Washing Machine, Canât Work Without Them. And Thereâs a Global Shortage. May 14, 2021 By Alex T. Williams Alex Williams is an economist and research analyst at Employ America, a think tank focused on creating tighter labor markets. As the fallout from Covid wreaks havoc on supply chains, a major economic and geopolitical tug of war has broken out. The reason: a global shortage in the supply of semiconductors â the microchips at the heart of countless products in a modern economy. While companies potentially prepare to fight their suppliers and the United States threatens to bring production back home, Ford Motor said the shortage has slashed its profit forecast by more than $2 billion. Worse still, major producers like Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company are warning that the shortage may last more than a year.