Help Factory Workers, Smash Machines

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"There are new jobs paying as well as the old ones providing people have the education and skill set for the new jobs."
Those days are gone and they are not coming back. R&D, engineering, and science are intimately connected with industry and manufacturing. The jobs requiring the highest level of education move to low wage countries just as quickly as assembly line jobs, leaving us with a low skill service and information economy. Even the low skill retailing industry is having troubles. No job is really safe from immigration and offshoring. Your legal work or x-ray analysis may be done in India through US agents. Industry wins wars, not brave soldier boys. Take away our jets and tanks and Saddam might still be in power. We still lead in military industries, but this is parasitic and tax supported and not sustainable in the long run given our debt level.

Luther of IL 3:42PM December 29, 2008

There are new jobs paying as well as the old ones providing people have the education and skill set for the new jobs.
I grew up in an auto maker's company town. Kids went from their high school graduation to the employment office and planned on working for that auto company until they retired just like their fathers' had done.
Those days are gone and they are not coming back.

Fred of 2:15PM December 29, 2008

This decline in manufacturing employment represents a reallocation of jobs among industries rather than a decline in total employment in the United States? Are the new jobs paying as well as the old ones? No. People are losing good paying jobs with benefits and getting poorly paying retail or service jobs to replace them. This isn't a reallocation for most people, this is a fast fall off a mountain. Unable to pay for collage, high rents, etc. These are the people losing their homes, their childrens' futures and many can't afford to retire. Just look at all of the middle aged and old people working at McDonalds these days. They used to be staffed by high school and college students.

Susan of NY 11:53AM December 29, 2008

We've been down the same productivity/reduced employment path with farming. From a near fifty per cent farm population in the thirties to around two per cent today due to productivity improvements.
Many of those unemployed (i.e. freed for other work) farm hands went to work in manufacturing.

Fred of WI 11:49AM December 29, 2008