A Sun Belt Story
Key Points:
- Recovery: Manufacturing employment has surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time since the 1970s.
- Geographic Concentration: The job growth has been primarily concentrated in five Sun Belt states: Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and Utah.
- Driving Factors: Transportation, food, and computer/electronics industries have led the growth, with government initiatives boosting domestic chip production playing a significant role.
- Rust Belt Challenges: Manufacturing jobs continue to decline in the Rust Belt states, including key battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
- Shrinking Share: Despite recent growth, manufacturing's share of the overall job market has significantly decreased since the 1970s.
Overall, while the manufacturing sector has shown resilience, the geographic disparities and its declining share of the overall workforce highlight the evolving nature of the American job market.