US Manufacturing employment is down. Don’t shoot the messenger!
Posted by [email protected] on Aug. 6, 2025 / Subscribe 0
Tariffs have long held promise as a means to level the playing field for US manufacturers.
Yet the promise of tariffs has disappeared in a haphazard plan that’s left US manufacturers reeling from higher, tariff-related costs. Instead of protecting US industry, tariffs are working against it.
US manufacturers are cutting costs – including jobs. Confirmation of this trend – an unintended consequence of the administration’s tariff plan – if now reflected in US manufacturing employment data.
Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US manufacturing employment is down year-over-year (July ‘24- ‘25), from 12,840,000 to 12,747,000 – or 93,000 jobs.
In our region:
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Texas is a bright spot, growing from 943,700 jobs in June 2024 to 976,600 in June ‘25 – or +32,900 jobs.
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Louisiana added 2,600 jobs., from 140,800 to 143,400.
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Oklahoma grew modestly from 140,700 to 141,300, or 600 jobs.
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New Mexico’s small but mighty sector also grew 600 jobs from 28,800 to 29,400.
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Colorado saw a modest gain, 400 jobs, from 149,500 to 149,900 manufacturing jobs.
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Arizona has lost 4,600 jobs, from 196,500 to 191,900 jobs. Intel’s challenges are weighing heavily.
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED®)
Which leads me to another takeaway, that I wrote about here: Industry mix matters. Houston has gained jobs even as its core oil and gas sector has diminished.
Lesson: every region must play to its strengths. More on that in subsequent editions of Update.
Bart Taylor is executive director of the GHMA, and publisher of Inside MFG. Reach him at [email protected].
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