Tampa Bay manufacturers dispute report of sector's demise

Reports, articles and more signaling the demise of the U.S. manufacturing sector have sprouted up for various reasons dating back to at least the 1980s. The culprits change — Japan, China, Mexico and more have been in the queue — depending on the politics and economics of the day, with the latest one being President Trump’s tariff policy.

An April 12 front page story in the Wall Street Journal said as much, stating that while “Trump’s sweeping tariff regime is aimed at bringing manufacturing back to the U.S., economists are skeptical that tariffs could make that a reality, and worry that the damage they create will outweigh any benefits.” Under the headline “How the U.S. Lost its Place as the World’s Manufacturing Powerhouse,” the article also states “that in the 1950s, around 35% of private-sector jobs in the U.S. were in manufacturing. Today, there are 12.8 million manufacturing jobs in the U.S., an amount equal to 9.4% of those private-sector jobs.”

The Bay Area Manufacturers Association, while not disputing the specific data, sent out a note in response to the WSJ article in late May. Titled “Tampa Bay Manufacturing: A Modern Powerhouse Defying Outdated Stereotypes,” the BAMA report says the WSJ piece “painted an outdated picture of American manufacturing — gritty, grueling and unappealing to younger workers.” BAMA officials say the Tampa Bay manufacturing sector is, instead, thriving, innovative and opportunity-rich. Some data examples to back that up from the association include: 

• Manufacturers in Tampa Bay: 3,500
• Manufacturing employees: 68,000+
• Job growth: Manufacturing employment in the Tampa MSA grew by 12.2%, between 2018 and 2022, adding more than 370 manufacturing businesses, according to the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. 
• Impact: Tampa accounts for 18% of Florida's total manufacturing employment, with the No. 2 manufacturing employment in the state and No. 30 nationally.
• Products: Includes aerospace and defense, medical devices and life sciences, electronics and electrical equipment, food and beverage processing, metal fabrication and machinery, plastics and rubber products, printing and support services and more.