The manufacturing sector has lost 35,000 jobs since Trump took office
Under Donald Trump and JD Vance, the job market and manufacturing sector have gone down the drain. New data today revealed the manufacturing sector continues to struggle under the weight of high prices, as “input prices rose at a steeper rate due to not only tariffs, but also high energy prices” thanks to Trump’s deadly and costly war with Iran. In one manufacturing report today, respondents mentioned high costs more than a dozen times, lamenting that Trump’s tariffs have driven prices through the roof. Today’s construction spending report showed spending on factories has plummeted by over 28% since Trump took office.
Additional data this week also showed a stagnant labor market that is making it nearly impossible for Americans to find good-paying jobs. The number of people who say that it’s hard to get a job right now has hit its highest point since early 2021. U.S. job openings fell by 256,000 in August — including big drops in construction and manufacturing jobs — the lowest job-openings rate in five months.
In response, DNC Deputy Communications Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
“Donald Trump and JD Vance tanked the economy, wrecked the job market, and hiked prices on everything. Trump and Vance promised a ‘manufacturing renaissance,’ but their disastrous agenda has sent the economy into a tailspin, as workers struggle to find good paying jobs and the manufacturing sector remains in shambles. Meanwhile, Trump and Vance are turning a blind eye, as they double down on their disastrous policies — and in less than five weeks, voters are going to hold them accountable at the ballot box.”
Last year was the worst year for job creation outside of a recession in more than 20 years, as the economy added less than 200,000 jobs throughout the entire year. Despite Trump’s promise to create a “manufacturing boom,” his reckless tariffs have decimated the manufacturing sector, as the industry lost 108,000 jobs during the first year of Trump’s second term.
The number of job openings also plummeted by nearly one million last year, and Americans’ likelihood of receiving a new job offer in the coming months fell to the lowest level in five years. Meanwhile, workers’ satisfaction with wages and promotion opportunities fell to the lowest level on record, as high prices continue to swallow up earnings and job opportunities remain scarce. It’s no wonder only 28% of American workers believe it is a good time to find a quality job, and two-thirds of Americans say Trump has worsened economic conditions.
