The perception that US manufacturing is dead is mostly just perception, if you look at the actual numbers. Before the big dip caused by covid, the value of US

The perception that US manufacturing is dead is mostly just perception, if you look at the actual numbers. Before the big dip caused by covid, the value of US manufacturing output had never been higher. [1] Even in inflation adjusted/real value terms, US manufacturing output is 50% higher today than it was 30 years ago. My guess is that the perception is cause by a few factors: - fewer people are employed in manufacturing than were in the past because of improved manufacturing technology/productivity - other sectors of the US economy have grown at a faster rate than manufacturing (tech for example) which means manufacturing represents a smaller share of a bigger pie - the US is no longer number 1 in the world as China surpassed the US about 10 years ago. But the US still manufactures more than Germany, Japan and South Korea combined, for example. [1] https://www.nam.org/state-manufacturing-data/2020-united-states-manufacturing-facts/ https://www.nam.org/state-manufacturing-data/2020-united-sta...