When outsourcing jobs became the mainstream business model for companies like General Motors and Ford Motor, “manufacturing” became almost a dirty word. It was as if we Americans thought of ourselves as too good – we were the innovators who came up with the ideas. We bought cheap labor in countries like China and Cambodia to do the work that was below us. But recently we have stepped away from this egotistical notion. Manufacturing is coming back to the United States as a reputable and vital cornerstone of the economy.
The Institute for Emerging Issues held its 28th annual forum Monday and Tuesday. This year’s emerging issue regarded American manufacturing and the benefits of a “manufacturing renaissance” in North Carolina. Though Technician criticized the event as a PR stunt in Tuesday’s editorial, its intentions were respectable and relevant. In fact, President Barack Obama discussed what the government is doing to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. in his State of the Union Address Tuesday night. Caterpillar, Ford and Intel are just a few examples he gave of companies that are outsourcing fewer and fewer jobs.
Although the majority of students will not work in the manufacturing field, it is important that we recognize manufacturing as a necessary part of our economy. For every $1 spent in manufacturing, $1.48 is added to the economy, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also found that about 17.2 million jobs in the U.S. are supported by manufacturing. And for every added manufacturing job, five jobs are created in its wake, according to Tom Kurfess, professor of automotive engineering at Clemson University.
In Tuesday night’s speech, Obama said, “After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three.” He added, “If you work full time, you shouldn’t be in poverty.” To support this idea, he proposed an increase in the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 per hour.
The president visited Asheville Wednesday as the first stop in his post-State of the Union push to revive the U.S. economy. There he took a tour of Linimar Corp, a Canadian-based company with 160 workers in its Asheville plant, according to The Associated Press. Obama said the company plans to hire 40 more workers by the end of the year.
President Obama will also seek support for his proposals in visits to Georgia and Illinois in the coming days. When 7.8 percent of the country remains unemployed, we cannot afford the hierarchal thinking that led us to outsource jobs in the first place.
