US manufacturing employment has hit its highest levels since George W Bush’s presidency, but its growth has slowed significantly this year and continues to lag behind the rest of the labour market.
The data on industrial jobs presents a mixed picture for President Joe Biden, who is banking on a manufacturing rebound to sustain the economy and boost his prospects in the 2024 presidential election.
Since Biden took office, US manufacturing employment has grown by slightly less than 800,000 positions, contributing to the more than 13mn jobs created as the country’s economy bounced back quickly from the pandemic. Last month, close to 13mn were employed in the US manufacturing sector, which is the highest monthly tally since late 2008.