BUY AMERICAN: President Trump is fulfilling his promise to “Buy American,” supporting American businesses and workers.
- Today, President Trump signed an Executive Order on Strengthening Buy-American Preferences for Infrastructure Projects.
- This Executive Order will strengthen Buy American preferences for Federal financial assistance for infrastructure projects.
- This action follows President Trump’s Executive Order 13788 of 2017 that required a more judicious use of waivers to purchase foreign-made goods under Buy-American programs.
- In 2018, waivers on Federal contracts declined by 16% Government-wide.
- Government spending on foreign goods has fallen to its lowest point in 10 years thanks to President Trump’s efforts.
- Government spending on United States-made products has increased by $24 billion during the first two years of the Administration over the previous two-year average.
- Buy American programs create good paying jobs that help lift more workers into prosperity.
- Buying American strengthens our manufacturing and defense industrial base, including pillar industries like steel and aluminum that are vital to national security.
MANUFACTURING BOOM: American manufacturers are more optimistic than ever and hiring has skyrocketed thanks to the President’s policies.
- President Trump’s deregulation policies, tax cuts, and tough trade actions have resulted in a resurgence in the American manufacturing industry.
- The President’s policies are working, with manufacturer optimism reaching an all-time high.
- Since President Trump’s election 503,000 manufacturing jobs have been created, compared to 78,000 in the last two years of the Obama Administration.
- In 2018, manufacturing added more jobs than any year since 1997.
- An average of 20,000 manufacturing jobs have been created per month since President Trump’s election, compared to 8,000 per month in the previous four years.
- The unemployment rate for the manufacturing sector stands at 2.8 percent and reached a record low of 2.6 percent last year.
- Wage growth among the lowest wage earners is outpacing median wage growth.
INVESTING IN MANUFACTURING WORKERS: President Trump is investing in workforce development that will help prepare American workers to join our thriving manufacturing sector.
- President Trump signed the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which provides career-focused training and education to students and workers.
- The Act will benefit nearly 12 million Americans and authorizes more than $1 billion in funds for States each year.
- President Trump established the National Council for the American worker to raise awareness about the skills gap, expand apprenticeships, and encourage investment in worker education.
- More than 180 companies have pledged to provide training opportunities to workers and students thanks to the Administration’s “Pledge to America’s Workers.”
- More than 6.4 million training opportunities have been pledged so far.