Manufacturing Jobs--Is Investment Enough?

Manufacturing Jobs--Is Investment Enough?

From Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell by Gary Mintchell

February 17, 2026 · 18 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges facing US manufacturing employment and the need for visionary leadership beyond mere investment.

I was intrigued by an item in News Items by John Ellis quoting the Wall Street Journal regarding the continued slide in manufacturing employment in the US and the prolonged slide in manufacturing activity. The first Trump administration elicited promises of moving manufacturing to the US with the building of plants. Little of that actually happened. The Biden administration invested a few billion, but what has that brought. The second Trump administration thought that tariffs would provide the protection from competition to jump start manufacturing. I pose the idea that it takes more than investment. And protection from competition really just allows local companies leeway to raise prices. What it really takes is better, bolder, visionary leadership to search out customer needs, design products they will buy, and then produce the products. It takes more than waving a few dollars at the problem. This podcast is sponsored by Inductive Automation.

People in this episode

Host: Gary Mintchell

Topics covered

  • manufacturing employment
  • economic policy
  • leadership in manufacturing
  • investment in manufacturing
  • US manufacturing activity

Keywords

  • manufacturing jobs
  • investment
  • economic policy
  • leadership
  • US economy
  • Trump administration
  • Biden administration

Sponsors

Inductive Automation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wall Street Journal, Trump administration, Biden administration

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