The sector had gained more than 70,000 jobs since December
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The manufacturing sector lost 1,000 jobs in May, according to the latest employment data from the Labor Department. May's figures break a five-month streak of factory job growth.
The Commerce Department also reported on Friday that the goods and services deficit reached $47.6 billion in April, up $2.3 billion. The goods deficit with China reached $32.1 billion.
Said Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) President Scott Paul:
"The loss of manufacturing jobs in May is a stark reminder of the challenges that face factory workers: declining auto sales, a persistently high goods trade deficit, and muddled fiscal policies.
"While the administration has initiated several trade reviews that could level the global playing field, they have yet to bear fruit. Good public policy can support new job opportunities in manufacturing, but Congress is no closer to boosting infrastructure investment, and a pro-jobs tax reform effort seems like a fading possibility. Policy solutions require leadership."