US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is making the rounds on Capitol Hill with a message that boils down to: the factories are hiring again, and the paychecks are getting fatter. In testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, Greer pointed to a net gain in manufacturing jobs under the current administration, a reversal from what he described as a net loss of 230,000 manufacturing positions between January 2023 and January 2025.
The numbers he’s citing paint a picture of a sector that went from slow bleed to cautious expansion. Nearly 440,000 job openings were available in manufacturing as of Greer’s April 2026 testimony. Real wages for manufacturing workers reportedly climbed by $2,400 within a year of the Trump administration’s trade initiatives, compared to a decline of $830 during the prior administration.
The policy engine behind the numbers
Greer delivered the 2026 Trade Policy Agenda to Congress on March 2, laying out the administration’s case that tariffs and renegotiated trade agreements are directly responsible for the turnaround. The strategy has centered on reshoring production, with particular emphasis on states like Michigan, Ohio, and California, where manufacturing has historically served as the economic backbone.
