Manufacturing is the third-most-productive industry in the U.S., yet many overlook the sector's value and its opportunity to contribute to a regional economy's prosperity. As believers in the potential of manufacturing, we challenge the myths and misconceptions and shed light on how manufacturing is a powerful asset to a diversified economy.
Check out our Manufacturing Myth-Busters series in the section below as well as our Industry Productivity Profile tool to compare the labor input and economic output for the manufacturing industry across 150 Extended Metropolitan Areas.
November 26, 2024
Manufacturing Myth 1: Manufacturing Doesn’t Fit in a Forward-Looking Economy
Audiences of the Empowering American Cities project are sometimes surprised at the weight we place on the Manufacturing sector. That’s because the pervasive public narrative about U.S. manufacturing is largely untrue. As believers in the potential of manufacturing, we challenge the myths that have led many to overlook the sector's value and its opportunity to contribute to a regional economy's prosperity.
February 20, 2025
Manufacturing Myth 2: U.S. Manufacturing Jobs Were Lost Solely to Productivity, Not Trade
There is no doubt that U.S. manufacturing has historically had a more prominent role in driving American prosperity, yet the cause of its relative decline is often misunderstood. A proper framework for discerning the sector’s past challenges is essential to understanding the future of American manufacturing and its continuing opportunity to contribute to regional prosperity.
February 26, 2025
Manufacturing Infographic
This one-page info graphic provides quick takeaways to understand how manufacturing drives growth in local economies.
March 14, 2025
Myth-Busters Video
Our economists provide an overview of the Manufacturing Myth-Busters series.
