Washington, D.C. – Manufacturing lost 18,000 jobs in March, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. The bulk of March's factory job loss was in durable goods, as the rapid spread of the coronavirus began to have an impact on employment nationwide.
But this data, which was collected in mid-March, likely only provides a hint of the losses that actually have taken place.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:
"There will be no easy way out of this crisis for millions of Americans, and this jobs report reflected just the very start of the collapse. The relief package passed by Congress may allow some businesses and families to tread water for awhile, but much more needs to be done.
"First, Congress must pass a robust infrastructure package to create jobs and rebuild America. Second, the administration shouldn’t do importers a special favor by delaying tariff collection. Third, we should insist that any big corporation receiving federal aid bring more jobs back to America."
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