Why US Manufacturing Advocacy Matters

If you or someone you care about works in the US Manufacturing industry, chances are you have a strong opinion about the importance of keeping the Manufacturing sector strong. Job growth rebounding from one of the worst recessions most of us have (and hopefully will) experience in our lifetimes is good for all. So on the level of jobs alone, it is a worth-while endeavor. When you look at the numbers, manufacturing jobs were hit very hard during 2008-2009 but unemployment in the sector has steadily declined since early 2010 with many now talking about the skills gap slowing down the capabilities of US Manufacturing:

BLS Unemployment Manufacturing 2004 to 2016

Why it matters more than jobs

Unfortunately in the freshly cast shadow of the Sochi Winter Olympic games, the World is now facing a geopolitical crisis and harsh lesson in the importance of self reliance. You probably can’t avoid the story of Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine if you spend any time reading a news paper or accessing news websites, but the developments provide us with a reminder of the importance of self reliance. The back story is that the crisis itself in the Ukraine and the response to it has everything to do with dependence on a resource – in this case natural gas provided by Russia to the Ukraine. This should be motivation for the US Government and Companies to onshore critical operations particularly manufacturing of critical products to within our borders. This should also be motivation to us, and to you, to consider advocating for US Manufacturing.

Doing our Part

This article is part of our US Manufacturing advocacy effort, which is quickly becoming a pillar of our blog and web presence in response to the critical nature of the need. This is advice that was recently shared on LinkedIn in response to the question “How do we show others how important American Manufacturing is?” by Michael Glover of Glover Precision and the inspiration for this article:

Good article and discussion, I’ll answer your question directly because it’s a great question Michael and one I’ve pondered quite a bit the last few months. Consider how you personally can be an advocate for it. Who do you influence, can they help? Do you have a blog, Facebook Page, Twitter account? Set aside and dedicate a portion of your efforts to advocate on a grass roots level to this. Remind people that things will not always be what they are today, and geo-politically we have to protect ourselves. The best way to do that is to not become too reliant on anyone else. Today’s headlines about the Ukraine ought to be a strong reminder that depending on others (Russia) for a strategic resource (Natural Gas) can have implications when difficult times arise. The same could be said for numerous things, I believe in Manufacturing because they are great skilled jobs and they make our country safer and more self reliant. It’s not at all hard for me to make a case for this, but I think that is the key, actually doing it. “The shortest answer is doing.” -Lord Herbert

Your turn! Share your ideas, articles, tweets and Facebook posts in the comments.