Comment by parhamn
If you go by manufacturing jobs, BLS seems to have the data going back to 1939. Peaks at 18.4m jobs in 1969. Currently at about 12.9m.
N.B. the current U.S. population is 1.6x the population of 1969.
If you go by manufacturing jobs, BLS seems to have the data going back to 1939. Peaks at 18.4m jobs in 1969. Currently at about 12.9m.
N.B. the current U.S. population is 1.6x the population of 1969.
Average productivity per manufacturing worker in the US grew on average by 3% per year in the 1950–1980s and 4% per year in 1990s (https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2002/06/art4full.pdf), i.e. its current output is comparable with that of ~50m people working in 1969, so a 30% decrease in total manufacturing employment was probably well compensated for (putting aside the social welfare point of view).