Labor & Employment Law

Poll: Manufacturing Key to Making Economy Strong Again

By James Parks

A majority of the U.S. public believes the nation’s economy is no longer the strongest economy in the world and we need an aggressive national manufacturing strategy to regain our pre-eminent position, according to a new bipartisan poll released today.

The poll shows voters are deeply unhappy going into the 2010 elections and they are particularly upset over the loss of American manufacturing jobs and the lack of action by Congress. Nearly three of five respondents (58 percent) say the United States no longer has the world?s strongest economy, compared with 36 percent who believe otherwise. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) believe Congress and the Obama administration ?have spent too much time bailing out Wall Street banks and not enough time worrying about working people who make things for a living.?

Scott Paul, executive director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), which released the poll, says:

This is a blunt message for Washington. A majority of likely voters say the U.S. no longer has the world?s strongest economy, and that Washington isn?t doing enough to promote manufacturing despite the contributions this sector makes to America?s economic security, our independence and our ability to stay ahead of global competition.

The poll shows voters believe we can regain our economic strength if we revive our manufacturing base. Pollster Mark Mellman told participants at the recent America?s Future Now conference that 86 percent of the respondents want to increase support for manufacturing. A whopping 95 percent believe Congress and the president should spend more time creating jobs, and 85 percent believe they should focus on creating manufacturing jobs.

Creating a strong industrial policy led the list of solutions to our jobs crisis, receiving widespread support from practically every group, including nonunion households, independents, union households and Tea Party supporters.

A comprehensive industrial policy would include emphasis on a host of long-range actions to rebuild our manufacturing base, which has been decimated over the past few decades. Paul pointed out that one-third of American manufacturing plants have shut down in the past 10 years and that today only 1,000 U.S. factories employ more than 1,000 workers. And we are losing high-tech workers at a faster rate than traditional manufacturing jobs, he said.

Some 30 percent of Americans also said reviving manufacturing is vital to our national security so that we would not be dependent on foreign countries for manufactured goods, including parts for airplanes, tanks and missiles.

Other highlights from the poll include:

• Voters are very anxious about the economy?specifically the China debt, spending and loss of manufacturing.
• Two-thirds of voters believe manufacturing is central to our economic strength, and 57 percent  believe manufacturing is more central to our economic strength than high-tech, information or financial service sectors.

Click here for the full poll results.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on June 24, 2010 (boomark / email).