Despite Biden’s upbeat talk, manufacturing jobs are in a decline

President Joe Biden attended the Detroit Auto Show Sept. 14, at one point holding hands with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Biden tweeted that Michigan is the place “where you're building the future of the electric vehicle and bringing back US manufacturing jobs.” Official numbers, though, tell a different story.

Data released in August shows there are 609,600 manufacturing jobs in the state. Some 18,900 jobs were lost over the past four years, a 3% decrease. Jobs in auto manufacturing could be at further risk as automakers switch to producing electric vehicles.

“Manufacturing jobs haven’t recovered in Michigan. The move to electric vehicles isn’t going to change that,” says James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Michigan Capitol Confidential previously reported that this sector could be looking at a 40% permanent loss of jobs, as electric vehicles do not require as much labor to assemble.