Tag: Iowa
Job Gains in Manufacturing Leads Increase in Blue Collar Employment
by Alan Barber , 08/21/2018
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 […]
Formerly Industrial Belt States Lag Nation in Blue Collar Job Growth
by Alan Barber , 07/24/2018
Five states saw a significant increase in total non-farm employment in June. Massachusetts led the way, with an increase of 0.6 percent from May to June or an additional 21,400 jobs. Tennessee saw an increase of 0.4 percent or 13,000 jobs. Georgia, Illinois and North Carolina all saw an increase of 0.3 percent or 14,200, […]
Despite Recent Gains, Blue Collar Employment Remains Well Below Prerecession Levels
by Alan Barber , 05/21/2018
Employment in blue collar jobs rose by 49,000 in April, an increase of 0.2 percent. Since last April, employment in mining and logging (combined), manufacturing, and construction has increased by 561,000 or 2.8 percent. Together, these jobs accounted for 13.8 percent of jobs in April. In the Midwestern industrial belt, blue collar employment fell by […]
Blue Collar Jobs Continue to Expand Across Midwest in March
by Dean Baker , 04/25/2018
The moderate pace of expansion of blue collar jobs continued in March, as most of the Rust Belt states added jobs in both manufacturing and construction. This follows the general pattern nationwide.
Blue Collar Jobs Continue to Increase Across Rust Belt
by Dean Baker , 03/30/2018
Consistent with national data showing modest increases in blue collar employment across the country, employment in construction and manufacturing increased in most states in the Midwest in February. Employment in both categories is up in almost every state in the region over the last year.
Tepid Blue Collar Job Growth Continues in the Rust Belt
by Alan Barber , 03/13/2018
Blue collar jobs as a percent of all jobs in the rust belt are virtually unchanged since the end of the recession.
We Are Finally Seeing Wage Growth, But it Began Well Before President Trump Took Office
by Alan Barber , 02/02/2018
On the campaign trail and once in office, President Trump promised that the nation would quickly see jobs come roaring back. Of course, the country had already seen unemployment rates fall sharply before the 2016 elections reflecting the economic policies of the Obama administration and the Federal Reserve under then-Chair Janet Yellen.
Coal Comeback Unlikely
by Alan Barber and Dean Baker , 01/24/2018
Uptick in manufacturing continues.
Modest Job Growth in the Rust Belt, but Little Evidence of Uptick in Wages
by Alan Barber and Dean Baker , 01/05/2018
The Rust Belt added 25,000 blue collar jobs in November led by a strong showing in the construction sector. Manufacturing, which accounts for the majority of blue collar employment in the Rust Belt also had a strong showing.
Blue Collar Jobs in the Rust Belt have Fallen By 0.15 percent since January
by Alan Barber , 11/20/2017
The total number of blue collar jobs in the Rust Belt rose 0.21 percent in October (an increase of 12,100 jobs) and were 28 percent of the nation’s total private blue collar jobs. Over the past year, employment in rust belt blue collar jobs has grown by 0.72 percent. However, the region has seen the […]