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Several States See Declines in Manufacturing Jobs

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Nationally, employment in the blue collar sectors grew by 26,000 in August, an increase of 0.1 percent compared with July. The total number of jobs in these sectors has increased by 789,200 (3.9 percent) since August of 2017. Despite this growth, this is still 5.0 percent lower than the total number of blue collar jobs […]

The Cost of Coal

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At a recent rally in West Virginia, Donald Trump expressed preference for coal-derived energy over renewables by labeling wind farms as avian killing fields. Trump’s concern for wildlife is unconvincing. To loosen restrictions on the fossil fuel industry his administration has pushed deregulatory efforts to mute climate change actions by rolling back car emissions standards […]

Labor Day is a Reminder that ‘More Jobs’ Should Mean ‘Better Jobs’

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On June 10, 1872, an estimated 150,000 workers marched through New York City to celebrate the end of a three-month, statewide strike. The purpose of the strike? The eight-hour workday. Across the country, similar victories soon followed. In the battle for an eight-hour workday, workers faced opposition at every step. Employers reduced wages to accommodate […]

Job Gains in Manufacturing Leads Increase in Blue Collar Employment

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Blue collar employment grew by 0.3 percent in July as the nation added 52,000 jobs in construction, manufacturing, and mining and logging. The number of jobs in these industries was 13.9 percent of total nonfarm jobs in the United States last month. This is a slight increase from July of 2017 when these jobs were […]