"I'd say the number one thing is we need manufacturing back in the US and stop outsourcing our jobs and national security stability overseas. I think that's one thing we can all agree on."
OK, good. Thank you. A nudge to the normal for a thread on MAGA hats.
I think, poster Missourian, that many many folks in America warm to the idea of more manufacturing jobs with the hope that they often offer higher wages.
But right now there is a problem.
Meaning workers.
Where are we gonna get 'em?
It seems we are at or very near full employment. I remarked on one thread or another on this venue (I think it was this one).....where within the last few weeks I drove 40 miles along a state highway to some ag land we own. Drove through 5 communities. And I saw, if memory serves, about 26 "Now Hiring" signs.....from billboards, to window signs, to stuck in the ground signs, even on the side, the long side, of a semi-truck.
And then tonight on the PBS Newshour they interviewed a man who puts out a newsletter to the leaders of states ---states of the United States. And he remarked that the trend ---really, the competition --- between state economies now is not which one will be successful in landing the next big manufacturing plant but rather...which state can attract more and better workers for the companies that already exist within a state's economy.
In his view it signaled a re-calibration of and a growth in --- the importance of human capital. Workers are now more ascendent than in a long long time.
So, I get your suggestion about America 'needs more manufacturing'....but will a new manufacturer be able to pay a premium to lure seasoned manufacturing laborers from another established manufacturer?
Further, if a surge in higher paying manufacturing jobs occurs that will likely draw workers from other industries that are themselves already experiencing labor shortages. Which then means that health-care, food service, agriculture, education, and other jobs will need to bump up their wages to keep the workers they want to keep. Inflation, anyone?
A significant re-tooling of America's immigration policies appears to be screaming for attention.
IMHO