Scott Paul, director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, regarding the U.S. Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ projected decline of 1.5 million jobs in U.S. manufacturing from 2006 to 2016 said:
“The projected decline, while not surprising, is extremely disheartening. The manufacturing sector has consistently offered one of the best opportunities for workers throughout the United States to achieve middle-class prosperity. That dream is fading, though, and our elected officials need to recognize manufacturing’s job multiplier benefits and the consistently high wages it provides. Until our trade laws are enforced and our government decides to value domestic production, we’ll continue to see more layoffs and more Americans sliding down the scale to low-pay service jobs.”