U.S. manufacturers are still shedding thousands of jobs, as workers ask White House for help
On March 9, about 350 workers at Whirlpool's Amana, Iowa plant will clock out for the last time. For a town of fewer than 1,000 people, where the factory has been the economic heartbeat for 80 years, this isn't just a headline—it's a gut punch.
And it raises an uncomfortable question: If tariffs and "America First" policies are supposed to bring manufacturing roaring back, why are American factory workers still getting left behind?
The Promise vs. The Paycheck
In April 2025, President Trump declared that "jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country," crediting his aggressive tariff agenda. The logic was simple: make imports more expensive, and companies will have no choice but to build—and hire—here at home.
But promises don't pay mortgages.
While some corporations have announced U.S. investment plans in response to tariffs, building factories takes years. And crucially, many of these commitments are nonbinding. Meanwhile, the data tells a different story: **the U.S. shed 83,000 manufacturing jobs during Trump's first year back in office.**
Economists point to a perfect storm of challenges:
- **Automation** reducing the need for human labor
- **Lower wages overseas** continuing to lure production abroad
- **Tariff-driven cost increases** on imported parts that U.S. manufacturers rely on
- **Economic uncertainty** making long-term planning difficult
As Aaron Terrazas, an economist with payroll provider Gusto, put it: *"The last year was a continuation of a long-standing trend—nothing pivoted, nothing reversed."*
"This Is Not Modernization—This Is Offshoring"
Whirlpool says the Amana layoffs are part of a "multi-year modernization plan" to ensure the plant's long-term stability. But union leaders see a different pattern.
Brian Bryant, international president of the International Association of Machinists (IAM), which represents about 1,300 Whirlpool workers, doesn't mince words:
> *"If you look at the last 20 years, they've invested over a billion dollars into beefing up their Mexico manufacturing, and their exports that are coming out of Mexico have exponentially increased. This is not modernization—this is offshoring of jobs."*
The numbers are stark: the Amana plant once employed 3,000 people in 2020. Today, it's down to 1,300—and after March 9, that number drops again.
For workers like Kerry Waddell, an IAM rep who spent 36 years at the factory, the human cost is immediate: *"These are employees that spend their money in these communities, they send their kids to the schools there. At this time, they're getting laid off, they're losing their health insurance—on March 9, they lose it immediately."*
The Bigger Picture: Manufacturing in a Shifting Economy
Let's zoom out.
- The U.S. has lost **4.5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000**.
- Meanwhile, global manufacturing employment has *grown* by about 71 million workers—mostly in China, India, and Vietnam.
- Today, just **8% of the U.S. workforce** is employed in manufacturing, down from a peak of 38% during World War II.
That doesn't mean these jobs don't matter. Far from it.
Manufacturing still offers some of the best-paying opportunities for workers without four-year degrees: an average of **$36.20/hour**, compared to $26 in retail or $23.38 in hospitality.
But the nature of the work has changed. As Terrazas notes: *"Manufacturing today isn't the same as it was in 1950—it's a different type of work… incredibly diverse… not just Rust Belt ideal, but small light manufacturing too."*
The problem? Small manufacturers are often the most vulnerable to tariff shocks and economic headwinds. Take Charlie Wicker of Trailhead Coffee Roasters in Portland, who told CBS News that tariff-driven cost increases forced him to lay off two full-time employees: *"Now it's down to just myself and one part-time employee. The fact that we're still standing is a function of having a little bit of savings to keep the lights on."*
What Happens Next?
The union has appealed directly to President Trump, invoking his "America First" pledge and asking him to "demand that Whirlpool halt these planned layoffs." As of now, there's been no public response from the White House.
Iowa lawmakers—both Republicans—are urging Whirlpool to reconsider. In a joint letter, Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Ashley Hinson warned: *"These layoffs would hollow out a community and undermine the very domestic manufacturing base that American workers have spent decades building."*
But with Whirlpool reporting $318 million in net income on $15.5 billion in sales in 2025, the financial pressure to cut costs remains intense.
And if nothing changes? Bryant warns the Amana workforce could shrink to just 500–600 people. *"This, unfortunately, is not just a Whirlpool issue—we're seeing it elsewhere in the IAM."*
The story of Amana isn't just about one plant or one company. It's a microcosm of a larger tension in American economic policy:
🔹 **Can tariffs alone rebuild a manufacturing sector reshaped by globalization and technology?**
🔹 **How do we support workers and communities when "modernization" looks a lot like displacement?**
🔹 **What does "America First" actually mean for the people who build America's products?**
As health care and service sectors drive most new job growth, manufacturing remains a critical source of stable, dignified work—especially in rural America. But without targeted support for workers, retraining programs, and policies that address *why* companies move jobs overseas (not just *that* they do), announcements of "roaring back" factories may ring hollow in towns like Amana.
For the 350 workers losing their jobs on March 9, the question isn't about macroeconomic theory. It's about rent, health insurance, and whether their community can survive the next chapter.
*If you found this piece meaningful, share it. Tag a policymaker. Start a conversation. Because behind every statistic is a person—and a town—counting on us to pay attention.*