“We automated away 4 million manufacturing jobs due to automation.”

— Businessman Andrew Yang

There are many reasons for the loss of manufacturing jobs — one of them being automation.

There is varying research on the exact number of jobs lost because of automation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics research from 2018, there are many reasons that are cited for the decline in U.S. manufacturing employment. Among the main culprits: competition with China; mismatch between the skills that workers have and skills employers need; and decline in cross-regional migration.