Factories Gain 53,000 Jobs, But Still a Long Way to Go to Reach Pre-Pandemic Employment Levels

Tags Jobs

Washington, D.C. – Manufacturing gained 53,000 new jobs in March, according to new figures released on Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While it is always good to see an increase in jobs, factories are down 515,000 jobs since February 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the United States.

Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:

“Manufacturing is still down 515,000 jobs since February 2020. The sector continues to struggle in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and now faces ongoing factory shutdowns due to parts shortages. 

“We’ve learned a lot of lessons the hard way over the past year. The United States struggled to find enough of the basic supplies it needed for workers on the front lines of the pandemic. We simply do not have the means to quickly ramp up production of key parts like semiconductors, because we sent that production overseas.

“Now it’s time to invest in these critical sectors, which will strengthen our national and economic security, and create good factory jobs across the country at the same time. Let’s seize the moment by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and building out the infrastructure the coming clean-energy economy will demand. We’ll create millions of new jobs in doing so, and make the American economy more productive and competitive.”

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