[Iron Munro]

Pretty much right --we make more steel now than when Reagan was president. Sure, it takes a lot less labor but that's good.

Except for the fact that the population today is about 43% larger than 1980.

(227 million in 1989 vs. 325 nillion est, in 2016)

So if steel production was about 10,000 tons in 1980 it should be about 14,000 tons today to keep up with the population growth, all other factors remaining equal.

If production was about 8,000 tons in 1984 it should about 11,500 tons today.

No matter how you look at it or what you use for base year, steel production per capita has fallen by a large amount.

[Wolfie]

Everybody’s OK with it until they lose their job to cheap overseas labor. Humans are a selfish lot.

[expat_panama]

--we make more steel now than when Reagan was president.

...steel production per capita has fallen...

We can agree on the 'per-capita' production drop besides the fact that total U.S. steel production is more than it was w/ Reagan.  On top of those two facts we might also want to understand that the value of the products made of steel is at an all time high.  Back in 1942 this is what we made w/ steel that cost 38¢/ton. 

There are U.S. manufactured precision scalpels for sale I can show you that cost several thousand dollars per ounce.

[BfloGuy]

No matter how you look at it or what you use for base year, steel production per capita has fallen by a large amount.

Pray tell, what is steel consumption per capita these days?