The US Council of Economic Advisers has published an assessment of the manufacturing sector during President Donald Trump’s second term, concluding that employment, production, investment, wages and trade have strengthened. It attributes the expansion to tariffs, tax measures and other policies intended to promote domestic production and investment. Manufacturing employment increased by 72,000 in 2026, led by a 101,000 rise in durable goods jobs, while factory-related construction employment grew by more than 111,000 from January 2025. The S&P Global US Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index reached 55.9 in September, its highest level since Trump took office, and manufacturing workers’ nominal wages rose 7.9% from January 2025. Federal Reserve data cited in the report also show year-over-year output gains across semiconductors and printed circuit boards, business vehicles, transit equipment, machinery, and aerospace and transportation equipment. The assessment points to broader investment and trade trends, including 6.9% annualized growth in real private fixed investment in the first half of 2026. US goods exports were 15% higher year over year through August and reached a monthly record of USD 220 billion in April, while capital goods imports rose 39% and consumer goods imports fell 20%. The council interprets these shifts as evidence of greater domestic industrial capacity and continued factory investment.

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