Washington, D.C. – Manufacturing gained 26,000 new jobs in July, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. But manufacturing has a long way to go to recover from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, still down 740,000 jobs since February.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:
“Prior to the pandemic, factory job growth had sputtered to a halt, treading water since the beginning of 2019. Now, nearly half a year into the pandemic, 740,000 factory workers are still out of work, and many of these layoffs are becoming permanent rather than temporary.
Meanwhile, virtually nothing has changed in Washington. The federal response to the pandemic has been largely absent, and COVID-19 is as widespread in the U.S. as it was in March, if not more so. Congress and the President have agreed to no long-term investments in infrastructure, despite pressing needs and broad, bipartisan support. The U.S.-China deal, purportedly negotiated by the President to help American manufacturing, has fallen woefully short.
The U.S. stands alone among developed nations with its massive job losses during the pandemic, but Democrats and Republicans can’t even agree on extending basic relief measures such as unemployment insurance. Late last month, we sent policymakers concrete ideas on how to restore confidence in the economy and lay a solid foundation for manufacturing growth. We hope they continue to work towards solutions.”
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