“”You would be surprised at how much manufacturing is still here. Problem is you can’t find people that want to work in a manufacturing facility. Everyone has been sold on the college educated white collar world as the only type of job that has any dignity.””
Nowhere near the number of manufacturers here as compared to 40 years ago.
In less than a day, I can drive to over 100 small towns that used to have at least one major manufacturing facility. It is what the town was built around, it fed, clothed, housed, and educated the town folk. Every one of those plants are now gone for good.
We are making big ticket items at very few locations now. Places like Seattle and Charleston are showing large output in dollars, that is easy when your product sells for over 100 million per item., But the other 99.9 percent of the former mill towns are withering away.
Did you know many plant employees were paid to disassemble and crate up the manufacturing equipment when their plant shut down? It was all shipped to China. These plants did not die due to poor demand for their products. Denim used to be an exclusively American product, now you might find a small boutique fabric mill turn out some every now and then, the rest is made overseas, on US machinery.
Another factor you may want to consider is the effect technology has had on basic manufacturing.
There is a steel mill near me that has been in operation for over 100 years. It used to employ over 10,000 people.
Today, it produces more steel than ever with about 700 employees.
In most manufacturing, you can produce far more with less labor due to modern technology.