US manufacturing is adding jobs again, but the hiring rules have changed
Between 2015 and 2025, U.S. manufacturers shed 244,000 jobs in so-called production occupations like assemblers and machine operators, according to Labor Department data. Over the same period, they added 358,000 jobs in management and business and financial operations. One factor driving the change is automation: Robots have replaced many shop-floor workers, but not managers and engineers, increasing their share of the workforce.
