> Manufacturing jobs simply have greater wage potential than many jobs in services because they have more room for productivity growth and a higher degree of leverage to win wage demands <
the reason why service jobs overtook manufacturing is precisely the opposite of this claim. Since Reagan / Thatcher era financialisation of the economy, it made much more sense to get job in 'the service industry' because it you could significantly increase your earning potential vis a vis those who continued in the manufacturing sector.
deadeye · 1d ago
I think you and the author have a different idea of what a "service" job is.
WalterGR · 17h ago
Most of the Superfund sites are from manufacturing, yes? What have we learned about industrial waste handling to avoid that in the future?
anovikov · 1d ago
Empty talk. Manufacturing never left. It grew slower than other economic sectors mostly because of pricing, manufactured goods are just a lot cheaper than they used to be.
Manufacturing jobs are gone, and they will never return. Moreover, probably spillover effects from ongoing manufacturing renaissance will translate into further decrease of manufacturing employment: new industry being created now can't exist without massive automation, and when this automation is in place, it will be adopted by pre-existing manufacturing businesses, too.
That's the case everywhere around the globe. Manufacturing employment is on the decline everywhere and there's no going back.
taylodl · 1d ago
Manufacturing now is increasingly being seen as a strategic capability. That's the whole impetus of "bringing it back." As you correctly point out, the United States is manufacturing more now than it ever has, while simultaneously decreasing manufacturing jobs thanks to industrial automation. The ineptitude of this administration is leading them to try to bring everything back, which is impossible - we literally don't have enough manufacturing capacity to make everything, without any discernment to what is strategic. The CHIPS act, that was strategic: bring back semiconductor manufacturing. But bringing back the manufacture of Barbie dolls and MAGA hats? Who cares?! It'll be ironic if all we get back is the junk manufacturing while the strategic stuff remains manufactured abroad.
anovikov · 12h ago
Well, the manufacturing capacity isn't difficult to build out having plenty of capital, land, and energy - which U.S. all had aplenty, and a Republican administration can rather easily cut corners in environmental reviews and other typical roadblocks. Questions is indeed, whether it's necessary at all.
As for chips, 3 TSMC plants will cover most if not all US demand for high-performance chips. One of them already operates, another one is built out and it's just a matter of training staff now, 3rd one is in construction. No reason to worry much about it anymore.
taylodl · 4h ago
> Well, the manufacturing capacity isn't difficult to build out
I can't take you seriously after that opening line. What, you think you snap your fingers and a manufacturing plant appears? There's site planning, site preparation, construction, industrial automation engineering, tooling, and trials runs to get through - and that's just the high-level tip of the iceberg tasks that needs to be done. Where are all the people to do that going to come from? You need people with experience, and those people are already in short supply. Moreover, where's all the CAPITAL needed to make this happen going to come from? Who's going to be willing to make that investment knowing that the political whims can change just as fast with the next administration as it did with this bozo administration? Stability matters when making 20 year plans and the Trump administration is the polar opposite of stability.
You can see the only thing we can jump in quick and start producing is the low-quality, low-cost cheap, throwaway crap. China has discovered it's difficult transforming yourself into a manufacturing powerhouse churning out that cheap crap. Now you want the US to do it? That's insane!
the reason why service jobs overtook manufacturing is precisely the opposite of this claim. Since Reagan / Thatcher era financialisation of the economy, it made much more sense to get job in 'the service industry' because it you could significantly increase your earning potential vis a vis those who continued in the manufacturing sector.
Manufacturing jobs are gone, and they will never return. Moreover, probably spillover effects from ongoing manufacturing renaissance will translate into further decrease of manufacturing employment: new industry being created now can't exist without massive automation, and when this automation is in place, it will be adopted by pre-existing manufacturing businesses, too.
That's the case everywhere around the globe. Manufacturing employment is on the decline everywhere and there's no going back.
As for chips, 3 TSMC plants will cover most if not all US demand for high-performance chips. One of them already operates, another one is built out and it's just a matter of training staff now, 3rd one is in construction. No reason to worry much about it anymore.
I can't take you seriously after that opening line. What, you think you snap your fingers and a manufacturing plant appears? There's site planning, site preparation, construction, industrial automation engineering, tooling, and trials runs to get through - and that's just the high-level tip of the iceberg tasks that needs to be done. Where are all the people to do that going to come from? You need people with experience, and those people are already in short supply. Moreover, where's all the CAPITAL needed to make this happen going to come from? Who's going to be willing to make that investment knowing that the political whims can change just as fast with the next administration as it did with this bozo administration? Stability matters when making 20 year plans and the Trump administration is the polar opposite of stability.
You can see the only thing we can jump in quick and start producing is the low-quality, low-cost cheap, throwaway crap. China has discovered it's difficult transforming yourself into a manufacturing powerhouse churning out that cheap crap. Now you want the US to do it? That's insane!