“If you only look at employment, you’d think the sector is still struggling.”
This has been the case for 40 years. The US has been for a long time a manufacturing powerhouse. 2nd only to China in total output but obliterating it in per capita output. This is what is so ridiculous about our trade war. Jobs jobs jobs are never coming back and will continue to decline. Just as farming did and as info tech is about to.
In fact, the trade war will help decrease manufacturing jobs while increasing output.
Your post is ludicrous.