President Donald Trump repeatedly pledged to revive U.S. manufacturing jobs<\/a> and usher in a \u201cgolden age\u201d of American-made goods. But, 16 months into his second term, he\u2019s fallen far short of that goal, according to a new report.<\/p>\n In April, private investment in manufacturing construction stood at $15.2 billion, a 16 percent decline from Trump\u2019s inauguration. Over the same period, factory employment<\/a> decreased by 77,000 jobs, The Financial Times<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n This lackluster data emerges despite the Republican president’s sweeping tariff regime<\/a> \u2014 designed to bolster domestic manufacturers \u2014 and his jawboning of executives to pour money in U.S. production. To date, 84 firms have announced nearly $1 trillion in investments<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAnnouncements are what people say they\u2019re going to do, but dollars spent is what\u2019s actually happening,\u201d Didi Caldwell, the chief executive of Global Location Strategies, a manufacturing site selection firm, told the outlet.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom where we\u2019re standing, we are not seeing signs of a manufacturing renaissance in the US,\u201d Caldwell said. <\/p>\n The White House pushed back again the idea.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump pledged to revive American industry, and the Trump administration is delivering with a proven economic agenda of targeted tariffs, rapid deregulation and investment-friendly tax cuts<\/a>,\u201d White House spokesperson Kush Desai told the Times..<\/p>\n Where progress has occurred, it’s been modest. And according to industry insiders, Trump’s tariffs \u2014 which the Supreme Court struck down in February<\/a> \u2014 have had a decidedly mixed effect.<\/p>\n Katie Farmer, the head of BNSF Railway, told the outlet she has witnessed a resurgence in \u201ccertain commodity areas,\u201d such as steel. But, in other areas \u201cwe\u2019ve really seen a plateau,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of some of the other uncertainty that exists in the world, and some of the uncertainty that frankly exists with the tariffs, I do think it\u2019s keeping some of that capital on the sidelines,\u201d Farmer said.<\/p>\n American factory jobs peaked in 1979, when nearly 20 million people were employed in manufacturing. That figure has been dropping ever since, in part due to automation and global competition<\/a>.<\/p>\n Companies in Indiana, which boasts the largest proportion of manufacturing jobs in the U.S., said the industry is showing signs of recovery, but that the process is patchy and will take years to take effect. It\u2019s a far cry from Trump\u2019s claim last April that manufacturing would come \u201croaring\u201d back to the country and \u201csupercharge\u201d domestic production.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve built up the momentum and it\u2019s continued, but it\u2019s not this mushroom cloud of explosive growth,\u201d John Urbahns, chief executive of the Greater Fort Wayne Inc business group, told the Times.<\/p>\n Experts previously told The Independent that the 79-year-old president\u2019s vision of a manufacturing boom was more of a pipe dream<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just fantasy,\u201d Dean Baker, a senior fellow and co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, said in March. \u201cThere\u2019s literally nothing that would support his claims of a renaissance.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2175318726.jpeg\")
President Donald Trump vowed to revive US manufacturing, but employment data and factory investment figures suggest a different reality, according to a new report (AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Since](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2277180823...jpeg\")
Since Trump took office, the US lost 77,000 manufacturing jobs. Pictured: Workers build Rivian R2 SUVs at the manufacturer’s assembly plant on May 19, 2026 in Normal, Illinois (Getty)<\/p>\n