Myths busted, questions answered about manufacturing.
Turn on cable news or read a newspaper opinion page these days, and you’ve probably been told by an expert that America’s manufacturing jobs aren't coming back, free trade is always good, and factory closures are part of a "natural" economic process.
There's also a pretty good chance that you've been lectured by politicians about how we’ll start a mythical "trade war" if our nation starts stand up to cheating by our trading partners.
We're here to give you some help setting the record straight. The next time you hear a whopper regarding American manufacturing, break out your Little Blue Collar Fact Book.
Yes, yes: There it is. In it you'll find explainers to anti-manufacturing rhetoric you may hear more often, now that Donald Trump — he of the the incredibly tough trade rhetoric — will be the next president of the United States.
You should read the whole thing, but here's an example of what's inside:
A MYTH: Manufacturing doesn’t matter anymore.
It can’t be denied: Manufacturing workers in America have taken a big hit since the turn of the century.
We’ve seen tens of thousands of factories close since 2000, and worse, we’ve lost millions of jobs. But the U.S. manufacturing sector still accounts for two-thirds of our country’s private-sector research and development; still accounts for more than 12 percent of U.S. GDP; and it still employs about 12 million of our fellow Americans in good-paying jobs. A typical manufacturing job supports four or five jobs elsewhere in the economy. And manufacturing jobs pay better, especially for workers who may not possess a four-year college degree.
THE TRUTH: Just look at the numbers: Manufacturing in America means jobs, industrial innovation, and economic growth.