US Manufacturing Industry Saddled by Advanced Job Needs and Performance-Based Losses

A worker handles 155mm caliber shells after the manufacturing process at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., on April 16, 2024. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images The U.S. economy added a less-than-robust 142,000 jobs in August, which, though higher than the 89,000 added in July, highlighted some concerning sectors, including manufacturing. And while the unemployment rate slid lower, from 4.3 percent to 4.2 percent, the manufacturing sector shed 24,000 jobs last month. However, one of the more significant concerns for some about the industry in the United States...