So, what's the answer?

Current Events » in reply to "Factory Jobs: 3 Million Lost Since 2000"

So, what's the answer?

TB — 4/20/2007 11:18:17 PM (archived)

There was indeed a precipitous drop in such jobs beginning about the middle of the year 2000. Go to the BLS site, and click on "Manufacturing Employment - Seasonally Adjusted." You can select to see the graphs.

I did some research on causes, and discovered that there didn't seem to be any simple answers for this, including my own. Running the graph ranges backwards raises even more questions. Why the jump between 1975 and 1979, during the height of "stagflation?" Why the jump in 1983, or the dip starting in 1988? Why was the number almost flat between 1995 and 2000, when non-farm employment in general went up by almost 14 million?

Protectionism, or restricting outsourcing, will just price U.S. goods off the world market. You think Europe will buy expensive U.S. goods over, say, Chinese, just to get a "made in the U.S.A." label?

The whole thread (29 posts)

"Factory Jobs: 3 Million Lost Since 2000" - Bowser - 4/20/2007 10:44:08 PM
- Sure but...There are still Millions more manufacturing jobs in the USA today than there were in the 1960's... (n/t) - The Artist formerly known as Scott Evil - 4/23/2007 1:17:11 PM
  - Not true. - TB - 4/23/2007 4:30:06 PM
    - I stand corrected... - The Artist formerly known as Scott Evil - 4/24/2007 3:39:32 PM
      - Probably not true either. - TB - 4/24/2007 3:58:59 PM
        
        True they wouldn't be better off working for the government... - The Artist formerly known as Scott Evil - 4/24/2007 10:07:17 PM
- re:Yet 2 million new jobs were created in the last 12 months - SteveS - 4/21/2007 3:59:39 PM
  - The response is like having a boat filling with 3 cubic feet of water per minute while 2 cubic feet per minute is pumped out. (n/t) - Jacob Samorodin - 4/21/2007 6:21:55 PM
    - re:Hows since August 2003, more than 7.8 million jobs have been created? - SteveS - 4/22/2007 2:47:21 AM
    - Comparing apples to apples... - TB - 4/21/2007 10:49:13 PM
- So, what's the answer? - TB - 4/20/2007 11:18:17 PM
  - There are no simple answers. - Bowser - 4/21/2007 4:03:58 AM
    - re: There are no simple answers. - Hans - 4/21/2007 7:33:01 AM
      - It's not a right. But it's a good thing to have in a country. - TB - 4/21/2007 4:35:14 PM
        
        re: It's not a right. But it's a good thing to have in a country. - Hans - 4/22/2007 11:01:09 AM
        
        U.S. GDP currently around seven times China's. - TB - 4/22/2007 7:45:17 PM
        
        Any data on the current rate of change of GDP in the US and China? - Laurie Street - 4/23/2007 5:34:11 PM
        
        I tend to be suspicious of "per capita" statistics... - TB - 4/23/2007 5:44:58 PM
        
        re: U.S. GDP currently around seven times China's. - Hans - 4/23/2007 5:28:09 PM
    - Economics As If Reality Mattered. - TB - 4/21/2007 4:31:33 AM
    - What's comfortable? - Lee - 4/21/2007 4:27:53 AM
  - Specialization and Globalization - SDF - 4/21/2007 2:07:49 AM
    - re: Specialization and Globalization - TB - 4/21/2007 5:17:56 AM
      - re: Specialization and Globalization - SDF - 4/21/2007 4:40:56 PM
        
        "Dream jobs," and the data. - TB - 4/21/2007 5:09:15 PM
  - A massive add campaign on buy "Made In The USA" wouldn't hurt. - Lee - 4/21/2007 1:53:56 AM
  - Cook the CEO's up in a pot of stew? - Lindy - 4/21/2007 1:03:20 AM
    - re: Cook the CEO's up in a pot of stew? - Hans - 4/21/2007 7:36:23 AM
      - "Today, CEOs are assured of getting rich..... - Lindy - 4/24/2007 8:15:02 PM

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