linkage
It would appear automation is bigger problem than outsourcing.
It would appear manufacturing is still strong in the US, it is just requiring far fewer people to do it.
Since early 2001, through the recession and slow recovery, 2.8 million more factory jobs were cut, most of which will never be recovered.
Some jobs disappeared because of rising imports or the movement of jobs overseas. But by far most manufacturing jobs were eliminated because companies used new technologies and management techniques to achieve productivity gains -- the amount of goods and services produced per hour worked, the Washington Post reported.
For example, nearly 25 years ago, General Motors employed 454,000 workers, more than any other company in America, to produce 5 million cars and trucks a year, according to the Harbour Report which tracks the auto industry.
Today, GM makes about the same number of vehicles, but employs just 118,000 workers because of increased mechanization and technology.
It would appear automation is bigger problem than outsourcing.
It would appear manufacturing is still strong in the US, it is just requiring far fewer people to do it.