Study: Public wants domestic manufacturing, younger generations open to trade jobs
Eighty-three percent of Gen Z respondents and 78% of millennial respondents said they’d be open or likely to consider trade jobs.
By and large, Americans believe manufacturing should still be a pillar of the economy. According to a new study by ARC, LLC, a real estate and business development company, 83.4% of American adults think the U.S. should bring back most or all manufacturing facilities to America. What’s more, 54% of the poll’s respondents expressed concern about the consequences of outsourcing manufacturing jobs.
The study, which polled 1,000 U.S. adults from May 3 to May 10, also found that many younger Americans are enthusiastic about working in manufacturing. Eighty-three percent of Gen Z respondents and 78% of millennial respondents said they’d be open or likely to consider trade jobs.
According to the study, those two figures mean the younger generations are significantly more interested in trade jobs than the generation that preceded them (baby boomers and Gen X). When asked to select an industry to practice a trade, 46% of millennial and Gen Z respondents selected manufacturing.
According to the study’s authors, American manufacturing is a vital part of the country’s economy. They cite data from the National Association of Manufacturers to make this point, “In Q4 2023, manufacturing injected a staggering $2.89 trillion annually into the U.S. economy, with every dollar spent in manufacturing generating a total economic impact of $2.69. As of May 2024, the sector provided employment to nearly 13 million workers.”
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Steve Austin, a partner at ARC, says Americans’ enthusiasm for manufacturing makes sense given the sector’s current and historical importance to the economy, “Americans understand the vital role that manufacturing plays in the U.S. economy. Americans recognize that manufacturing was critical to building our nation’s economy during the Industrial Revolution, its continuing importance to our current economic health, and they want to restore its presence meaningfully. At ARC, we are committed to ensuring this happens.”