4 ms·

Compare these numbers from the 80s-90s to current data. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/1999/sept/wk5/art02.htm?view_full https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/1999/sept/w

Compare these numbers from the 80s-90s to current data. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/1999/sept/wk5/art02.htm?view_full https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/1999/sept/wk5/art02.htm?view_fu... https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iagauto.htm https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iagauto.htm

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Interesting. I'm really surprised that auto parts don't track vehicle assembly more closely. But, in your second reference, see the "back data" graph links for 1990-2019, in any of the manufacturing categories. I would expect that figures for the sixties and seventies would be much higher still, as much of the automation and de-industrialisation was through the eighties. The seventies perhaps, as a pure guess, the maxima, and a crash from the oil crisis. It's a shame the data goes back no further. I suspect the eighties, where their graph in the first link starts may have set the minima after decline, with slow growth since.
- andrenth 7y ago
  I’ve found this paper [1] which has data from 1960 to 1990 in a plot on page 3. The peak is in 1978 but the number range is very similar to today’s numbers (~1 million employees). I’m assuming the numbers in that chart are in manufacturing alone (didn’t read the paper), because today’s numbers including retail trade, wholesale trade and services add up to more than 4 million jobs, according to my second link above. [1] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/24ba/b100ea6eb7d96c9c4247eb349ab28eadc950.pdf https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/24ba/b100ea6eb7d96c9c4247eb...
  - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
    Interesting - and fascinating that the oil shock of 73 turned out to be just a blip. I think it leaves the picture unclear without the associated parts trade, which aren't normally picked out when I've seen news pieces on the auto trade here in Europe. So we get stories and graphs of producing more cars than ever despite the industry employing few. Also leaves me wondering what those staff are doing when car factories themselves have lost such a huge proportion of their workforce.

NeedMoreTea 7y ago

Interesting. I'm really surprised that auto parts don't track vehicle assembly more closely. But, in your second reference, see the "back data" graph links for 1990-2019, in any of the manufacturing categories. I would expect that figures for the sixties and seventies would be much higher still, as much of the automation and de-industrialisation was through the eighties. The seventies perhaps, as a pure guess, the maxima, and a crash from the oil crisis. It's a shame the data goes back no further. I suspect the eighties, where their graph in the first link starts may have set the minima after decline, with slow growth since.

andrenth 7y ago
I’ve found this paper [1] which has data from 1960 to 1990 in a plot on page 3. The peak is in 1978 but the number range is very similar to today’s numbers (~1 million employees). I’m assuming the numbers in that chart are in manufacturing alone (didn’t read the paper), because today’s numbers including retail trade, wholesale trade and services add up to more than 4 million jobs, according to my second link above. [1] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/24ba/b100ea6eb7d96c9c4247eb349ab28eadc950.pdf https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/24ba/b100ea6eb7d96c9c4247eb...
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Interesting - and fascinating that the oil shock of 73 turned out to be just a blip. I think it leaves the picture unclear without the associated parts trade, which aren't normally picked out when I've seen news pieces on the auto trade here in Europe. So we get stories and graphs of producing more cars than ever despite the industry employing few. Also leaves me wondering what those staff are doing when car factories themselves have lost such a huge proportion of their workforce.