Manufacturing is a critically important industry to the American economy. For generations, the strength of our country rested on the power of our factory floors, both the machines, as well as the men and women who worked them.
Today, there are about 11.7 million Americans working in the manufacturing industry. But the impact these workers make is even greater than these numbers would suggest. We’ve taken a moment to pay tribute to our nation’s manufacturers by focusing on the difference they have made in the past, and present day.
They Are Made of the Powerful Middle Class
Throughout time, the manufacturing industry has proven to be a way out of poverty for many Americans. Many manufacturing jobs do not require a four-year college degree, but pay a decent and steady middle-class income. This has given fantastic opportunities to those particularly residing within select Southern states, as well as those along the Rust Belt. By obtaining these positions, manufacturing workers then also have better access to various benefits such as health care coverage, for themselves and their families.
They Support Our Nation’s Economy
Our nation’s economic growth truly depends on manufacturing. Not only does manufacturing support our nation’s economy by providing quality jobs, but manufactured goods are crucial in supporting the service industries as well. About two-thirds of most economies are composed of service industries. All this to say, these service industries are dependent on manufactured goods for their operation and for their own technological progress.
They Make Our Nation Strong
We have seen manufacturer's ingenuity on full display throughout the COVID-19 pandemic era. Many of our country's factories transformed their production lines to produce hand sanitizer, for example, when we were at a low supply nationwide. And should our country find itself in another major war, we know that our adversaries will not provide any sort of manufactured goods, and that includes weaponry. Being able to rely on our manufacturers during these times of crisis is just one more reason to show them our utmost support and gratitude.
The United States may never again dominate world manufacturing like it did in the post-World War II industrial era, but that doesn’t mean America is in last place by any means. Our nation has a strong history of innovation and leadership in manufacturing, and the people who make up this industry are sure to remain an integral part of our nation's strong economic future. We would like to invite you to join us in taking this time to pay respect to the hard work and dedication displayed through America’s manufacturers.
