The heart of Donald Trump’s economic policy and much of his rhetoric focus on keeping factory jobs in the United States. The president has personally courted large companies with tax breaks and incentives, and announced a manufacturing jobs program aimed at getting “Americans back to work again.” How much economic value does the manufacturing sector add to the U.S. economy? Take our quiz to find out.
1. What percent of the nation’s gross domestic product was generated by the manufacturing sector in 2015?
A. 6.2%
B. 7.5%
C. 11.4%
D. 12.1%
2. Amounting to the highest multiplier effect of any sector, for every $1 spent in the manufacturing sector, how much value is added to the overall economy?
A. $1.25
B. $1.43
C. $1.81
D. $1.93
3. Manufacturing jobs account for 9% of the total U.S. workforce. How many millions of employees worked in manufacturing in 2015?
A. 8.8
B. 12.3
C. 15.3
D. 19.6
4. Considering the entire manufacturing value chain and manufacturing for other industries’ supply chains, each employee hired in the manufacturing sector generates how many jobs elsewhere?
A. 1.9
B. 2.5
C. 2.9
D. 3.4
5. How much did the average manufacturing employee earn per hour in 2015?
A. $22
B. $26
C. $29
D. $32
6. U.S.–manufactured goods exports have quadrupled over the past quarter-century. How many trillions of dollars were exported in 2015?
A. $1.134
B. $1.317
C. $1.789
D. $2.139
Source: National Association of Manufacturers
Answers: 1–D; 2–C; 3–B; 4–D; 5–B; 6–A