• prime_number_314159@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Only about 10% of the working population in the US is in manufacturing, so 20% more people that would want to work in manufacturing is quite a lot. It’s impossible to undo the automation that has happened to date, though. Worse, if more people work in manufacturing, the pressure on wages and the pressure to automate can both increase.

    Even if we stop all imports and make every finished good purchased in the US here, it’s far from enough to bring us back to the historic levels of employment in manufacturing.

    • udon@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Thanks, as much as I think whatever the US government is doing rn is dumb and self-destructive, it’s important to clarify these two charts don’t contradict each other.