Washington, D.C. – Manufacturing gained 29,000 jobs in August, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. Although the sector has seen hiring over the past few months, it still faces a long road to recovery from the administration’s response to the pandemic.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:
“On Thursday, the Commerce Department reported the highest monthly U.S. trade deficit ($63.6 billion) in 12 years. Today, the jobs numbers show we still have a long way to go toward a true recovery in manufacturing.
“Since the start of the pandemic, factories have shed 720,000 workers who have yet to be hired back. Many of these layoffs now seem permanent, but even at the current rate of job growth, it would take more than two years to be simply treading water again. That’s not good enough.
“Our factory workers deserve more than platitudes from the president and his weak Phase One trade deal with China. We need a comprehensive agreement with Beijing, and we need to invest in our infrastructure, workers, and innovation here at home.”
Scott Paul is available for interviews.