Americans want more factory jobs but don’t want to work them: Poll

• As President Donald Trump touts the imminent resurgence of American manufacturing, polls indicated that Americans have mixed feelings about its future. While many believe it would benefit the U.S., many respondents do not see factory work as advantageous for themselves personally.
• Fortune reported that there are currently about 500,000 manufacturing jobs available in the U.S.
• Some economists believe it will take a long time for such a comeback to occur due to the time required to get some factories operational again or the cost of building new ones.

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President Donald Trump has advanced his tariff policies primarily to revive manufacturing jobs and ensure the prosperity of American factories. Recent polling indicates that Americans have mixed feelings about restoring jobs to the U.S. and personally engaging in the work.

What does the survey reveal about factory work opinions?

According to a survey conducted by the Cato Institute, 80% of respondents feel that America would benefit from an increase in manufacturing jobs. However, only 25% think they would be better off if they personally held a factory job.

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Additionally, the survey revealed that only 2% of respondents currently work in a factory.

Colin Grabow, the associate director of Cato’s Center for Trade Policy Studies, said the 18- to 29-year-old age group registered just 36% interest in manufacturing employment. He said that there is a disconnect between how Americans, in general, perceive manufacturing and how they view it personally.

He explained that this is the reason the National Association of Manufacturers has called for increased immigration.

How many manufacturing jobs are there in the US?

According to Fortune, roughly 500,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs are available in the U.S. However, Cato observed a lack of interest among Americans in filling these positions.

The same survey published in August 2024 found that Americans expressed more favorable opinions regarding globalization, international trade, free trade and trade deals. In fact, 66% of respondents reported that international trade had a mostly positive effect on the American economy.

While Trump has insisted that American jobs and factories will make a strong comeback, the U.S. has lost automotive and steel industry jobs since the 1980s as it has transitioned to a more knowledge-based economy.

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Why are economists concerned about manufacturing’s future?

Certain economists and trade specialists remain skeptical about the success of a manufacturing revival. Reopening current factories and plants or constructing new ones will require several years.

Additionally, Goldman Sachs indicated that America depends on imports from other nations more than those nations rely on the U.S. As a result, many products cannot be manufactured in America without relying on imported raw materials from elsewhere.