Washington, D.C. – Manufacturing gained 23,000 jobs in May, according to new figures released on Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Motor vehicles and parts gained 25,000 jobs, primary metals gained 2,200 jobs, while fabricated metals added 3,500 jobs.
The overall sector remains down 509,000 jobs since the COVID-19 pandemic began in February 2020.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:
“While it’s good to see factories gain 23,000 jobs, there’s still a long way to go to gain the jobs lost due to the pandemic. Manufacturing is still down 509,000 jobs since February 2020. It’s worth noting that metals consumers are adding jobs at a similar clip to metals producers, so the notion that steel tariffs are holding us back is a very flawed one.
“The Section 232 tariffs must be maintained to ensure the industry can continue to grow jobs and make tens of billions of dollars in previously announced investments. Instead of any misguided effort to remove critical trade enforcement, policymakers must continue to focus on robust investments in infrastructure, competitiveness, and clean energy to drive factory job growth up.”
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