Issue Position: Manufacturing

Issue Position

Manufacturing is critical to the U.S. economy.

*Strengthen America's investment in manufacturing

*Create tax incentives to encourage investment in the hardest-hit manufacturing communities

*Crack down on trade violations to level the global playing field for American workers

"Manufacturing is coming back … My job as your president will be to do everything I can to create more good-paying jobs, to get wages rising again for American workers and families."
Hillary Clinton, NOVEMBER 29, 2015

Hillary believes that creating good-paying jobs is the defining economic challenge of our time, and she has a plan to make America the first choice for manufacturing production worldwide. Hillary will:

*Strengthen investment in American manufacturing--so we make it in America. Hillary's plan will build and expand upon President Obama's support for a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation--to leverage the potential of regional hubs that bring together workers, business, universities, and community colleges to develop world-leading technologies and production that anchors good-paying jobs. And she will insist on ensuring union collective bargaining rights and labor protections, as well as high standards for domestic sourcing and "buy American" laws.

*Revitalize the hardest-hit manufacturing communities by creating tax incentives to encourage investment in communities that have faced or are about to face significant manufacturing job losses.

*Create incentives for companies to bring back jobs to the U.S. by making America the most attractive location for investment--and crack down on shifting earnings overseas.

*Level the global playing field for American workers and manufacturers by aggressively combating trade violations. Establish and empower a new chief trade prosecutor reporting directly to the president, triple the number of trade enforcement officers, stand up to Chinese abuses, and crack down on currency manipulation that hurts American workers.

*Drive innovation and create jobs by investing in clean energy. Hillary will set ambitious national goals, including to generate enough renewable electricity to power every home in America within 10 years and slash oil consumption by one-third, driving innovation and job creation across the economy while keeping energy affordable.

*Support the skills and training of America's workforce. America has the potential to win the global competition for manufacturing jobs by harnessing the incredible talent and skills of its workforce.

"I'm one who believes we do need to try to revitalize the manufacturing sector. I have a specific plan to do that -- including a manufacturing renaissance tax credit so that companies will invest in America, will create manufacturing jobs here, will bring back jobs from overseas."
Hillary Clinton, JANUARY 3, 2016

As a senator, Hillary co-founded the bipartisan Senate Manufacturing Caucus, fought Bush Administration efforts to cut support for manufacturing, and called for a "New Manhattan Project" to rebuild American manufacturing. Her plan builds on her career-long commitment to manufacturing, as well as on her previous proposals to invest in renewable energy and rebuild America's infrastructure--two major investments that will drive demand for manufacturing across the country and strengthen our long-run competitiveness.

Manufacturing is critical to the U.S. economy. It is responsible for high-paying, high-skilled jobs, and a long-term driver of innovation that leads to new industries and the next generation of domestic jobs:

*Manufacturing is a source of higher-paying American jobs. Manufacturing jobs pay between 8 and 20 percent higher than other industries. And manufacturing has a large employment "footprint"--employing 12 million Americans directly, and supporting around 17 million jobs indirectly. The manufacturing sector has added nearly 900,000 jobs since February 2010--but has not yet fully recovered the losses from the Great Recession.

*Strengthening manufacturing bolsters innovation for the long-term. While manufacturing accounts for only 12 percent of GDP, it accounts for 90 percent of patents issued, 70 percent of private-sector R&D spending, and 60 percent of the private R&D workforce. Manufacturers innovate at nearly twice the rate as other companies.

*The U.S. can compete for global leadership in manufacturing and the good jobs of the future. During the last decade, there was a pessimistic view that America could no longer compete for manufacturing. However, the U.S. is increasingly competitive as a location for investment as companies more carefully consider the total costs of production, and we need to create incentives to convince those companies to invest in our communities.

*We cannot afford to lose our capacity to make products in America. The unique research intensity and connections between production and design that arise from manufacturing create spillover benefits throughout the economy. That is why ensuring America is a global leader in advanced manufacturing is critical to innovation and competing for the good jobs of the future.

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