Since 2000 the United States has lost 5,500,000 manufacturing jobs, most of them paying middle class wages. We've also lost countless jobs for people who used to support those workers in those factories.
2,700,000 of those manufacturing jobs went to China, as our trade deficit went from $84 million in 2000 (before our trade agreement) to $315 billion in 2012. That subtracts around 3% from our GDP annually.
Imagine for a moment those manufacturing jobs never left. The political debate wouldn't be about deficits, or unemployment extensions, or bankrupt cities, because none of that would be happening.
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