White House Uses Construction Metric to Project Factory Job Growth Despite Manufacturing Decline - News and Statistics

May 9, 2026

The White House pointed to a specific construction metric in the April jobs report to argue that factory workers will see long-term job growth, according to an official statement on Friday. White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai noted that nonresidential specialty trade contractors—a subcategory closely tied to data center construction—rose from 2.8834 million jobs in March to 2.8960 million in April.

Desai wrote on social media that the United States added 12,600 factory construction jobs in April, calling it a leading indicator that the best is yet to come. Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council under current President Donald Trump, said during a television appearance that about 70,000 people now have jobs building factories.

Since President Trump took office in January 2025, nonresidential specialty trade contractor jobs have grown by 67,000. However, the broader construction sector has shrunk over that period. It remains unclear whether the expansion of AI data centers will generate a significant number of permanent roles long term. While data centers can employ thousands during construction, they typically employ only dozens or around 100 workers once operational.

The White House focus overlooked less favorable manufacturing data from the same report. Factories lost about 2,000 jobs in April, and manufacturing employment has declined by approximately 66,000 over the past 12 months and about 77,000 since the start of President Trump’s second term. The report also showed job losses in construction outside of nonresidential specialty trade contractors, especially among homebuilders.

A White House official explained that the administration highlighted the 12,600 figure because growth in specialty jobs aligns with other leading indicators they monitor for the manufacturing sector, such as core capital goods orders, non-residential fixed investment growth, and foreign investment commitments.

1. INTRODUCTION

Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

REPORT DESCRIPTION
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A Quick Overview of Market Performance

KEY FINDINGS
MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO

3. MARKET OVERVIEW

Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
MARKET FORECAST TO 2035

4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT

5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES

6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
UNSATURATED MARKETS
TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS

7. PRODUCTION

The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

8. IMPORTS

The Largest Import Supplying Countries

IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

9. EXPORTS

The Largest Destinations for Exports

EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

11. COUNTRY PROFILES

The Largest Markets And Their Profiles

This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition
PRO

11.1

United States