U.S. manufacturing has shown modest improvement in 2026, with 29,000 jobs added since January and manufacturing activity reaching its highest level since 2022, The Washington Post reports.
President Donald Trump credits his tariffs for this growth, particularly in metal and transportation manufacturing, where employment has increased. However, critics argue that the broader manufacturing industry is not experiencing the major resurgence Trump has promised.
Despite the recent job gains, manufacturing employment remains about 62,000 jobs below its level when Trump took office in January 2025 and below its 2023 peak. Economists also question whether tariffs are the main cause of recent growth, pointing instead to factors such as artificial intelligence and data center construction, lower interest rates and overall demand.
Tariffs have created both winners and losers: Metal and transportation manufacturers have gained more than 41,000 jobs, while food, furniture and rubber and plastics manufacturers have lost more than 32,000.
Some companies say tariffs have helped increase demand for American-made products, while others report higher costs for imported materials and parts. It may be too early to call the current trend a manufacturing revival. Reshoring factories takes years, and manufacturing employment is unlikely to return to its 1970s peak because the U.S. economy has shifted heavily toward service industries.
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