Decline of U.S. Manufacturing By any metric, U.S. manufacturing continues to decline. Visual Capitalist says, “Overall, the number of U.S. manufacturing firms has shrunk by 14% over 20 years, with 50% or higher drops in the apparel and textile mills sectors.       Amid factory closures across nearly all manufacturing sectors, employment has dropped to 13 million workers as of January 2023, down from its 1979 peak of 19.5 million workers. Today, manufacturing jobs make up roughly 10% of the U.S. private sector workforce.”  According to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “In the 40 years since manufacturing employment peaked, the industry...

AI Taketh and AI Giveth Away What Was Your First Job?   Here is a question frequently asked around the office water cooler, or whatever serves the same purpose today. It’s also often used as an icebreaker or a way to get to know someone.   What was your first job? This question transcends age, social status, and ethnicity. Most everyone enjoys a brief stroll down memory lane, recounting how little they were paid, how hard the job was, or the interesting people they met.   When we think back to our first job, we often see the start of the path that led us...