U.S. manufacturing sheds thousands amid tariff uncertainty
A Center for American Progress analysis and Labor Department data show U.S. manufacturing employment has fallen this year, with employers cutting 12,000 jobs in August and net losses of roughly 33,000 for 2025 to date. The analysis and reporting link the drop to the Trump administration’s steep new tariffs, a hardline immigration stance and provisions in the recently enacted tax/spending package; manufacturers including John Deere report hundreds of millions in tariff costs and recent automaker layoffs underscore the sectoral pullback amid legal uncertainty over the tariffs.
Economy
Trade/Policy
🔍 Key Facts
- Employers shed 12,000 manufacturing jobs in August 2025; manufacturing payrolls down about 42,000 since April 2025 and ~33,000 year‑to‑date (Labor Department / CAP analysis).
- As of August 2025, 12.7 million Americans were employed in manufacturing; the sector lost about 87,000 jobs in 2024.
- John Deere reported roughly $300 million in tariff‑related costs; automakers announced nearly 5,000 job cuts in July (Challenger, Gray & Christmas).