Factory Jobs in America Are Misunderstood and Overvalued

If there’s one thing on which American politicians can agree, it’s that US factory jobs are special. And with midterm elections approaching, the number of people working in manufacturing has become the scoreboard for President Donald Trump’s trade and industrial policies: Democrats point to 35,000 jobs lost since Trump took office in January 2025, while Republicans highlight a rebound of almost 60,000 since last December’s low.