Economic Policy Institute
China trade costs jobs in every state
Unbalanced U.S. trade with China since 2001 has had a devastating
effect on U.S. workers. Between 2001 and 2007, 2.3 million jobs were
lost or displaced, including 366,000 in 2007 alone. These jobs were
displaced by the growth of the U.S. trade deficit with China, which
increased from $84 billion in 2001 to $262 billion in 2007.
Growing China trade deficits between 2001 and 2007 eliminated jobs in
all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Jobs displacement exceeded
2.0% of total employment in Idaho, New Hampshire, South Carolina,
Oregon, California, Minnesota, Vermont, Texas, and Wisconsin. The
effects of growing trade deficits with China have been felt widely
across the United States and no area has been exempt from their
impact. While traditional manufacturing states such as Wisconsin,
Tennessee, and the Carolinas were certainly hard hit, so too were
states in the tech sector such as California, Texas, Oregon, and
Minnesota. Rapidly growing imports of computers and electronic parts
accounted for almost half of the $178 billion increase and eliminated
561,000 U.S. jobs. Idaho, which lost an estimated 9,000 jobs in
computer and electronic products alone, was the hardest-hit state in
the country in terms of share of total state employment.
Millwright Ron
www.unionmillwright.com