In 2000, the United States had approximately 18 million manufacturing jobs. Ten years later, the U.S. only had 12 million of them.
We haven’t adequately filled that hole in our economy in the meantime, and this job loss has helped fuel widening inequality, increased economic insecurity and a growing number of deaths of despair among working class Americans of all backgrounds.
Factory jobs, particularly when they’re unionized, pay a wage premium, especially for workers without a four-year college degree. They’re the types of jobs that allow people to pay their bills with a single paycheck. They’re the types of jobs that allow people to do things like save a little money, buy a house, and go on the occasional vacation. They’re the types of jobs that built the middle class. The Alliance for American Manufacturing advocates for policies that will bring those jobs back. Our economy and our fellow citizens need them, and they are essential to building a better, brighter future for our country.
Manufacturing Jobs Matter to America
What can we do to increase the number of manufacturing jobs in the United States? It starts with creating a level playing field for manufacturing workers to compete.
Resources
How the Deficit Impacts Jobs
Cutting the deficit is a key part of manufacturing job creation.
China Trade Costs Billions
In 2011, $37 billion in wages were lost due to unfair China trade.
Blueprint for the Future
Learn more about the public policies that will spur a true manufacturing resurgence.