Job Quality Newsletter – Manufacturing Day

Manufacturing jobs are frequently touted as good jobs — positions that provide high wages, substantial benefits, and opportunities for advancement.

However, not all manufacturing jobs meet that standard. Manufacturing Day serves as a reminder of the sector’s promise and a chance to reflect on how it can move closer to delivering truly good jobs — those that provide stability, dignity, and opportunity.

In this edition, we unpack why manufacturing jobs are often seen as desirable yet don’t consistently deliver on that promise, highlight research that shows how efforts to strengthen businesses can also improve the quality of jobs they provide, and consider how government purchasing power can be used to set higher job standards across the sector. We also share lessons from a company that navigated a crisis by putting workers at the center, showing how investment in people can fuel both resilience and success.

Will the Return of Manufacturing Mean the Return of Good Jobs?

In this piece, I ask whether manufacturing jobs live up to their reputation as pathways to economic opportunity. Drawing on history, case studies, and recent research, I highlight how job quality depends on the choices business leaders make and the support systems available to them. Read more here.

Genesis at Work: Evaluating the Effects of Manufacturing Extension on Business Success and Job Quality

This report examines the impact of manufacturing extension services on both business performance and job quality. It provides evidence that supports aligning competitiveness interventions with strategies that strengthen the quality of work, showing that business competitiveness and improvements in job quality can be complementary rather than competing goals. Check out the report here.

Policy Corner – Made In America and Public Procurement

Buy American? Let’s Buy a Future for American Workers

In this op-ed for Newsweek, Mark G. Popovich — former director of our Good Companies/Good Jobs Initiative — and I argue that “Buy American” policies from the federal government should go beyond favoring domestic production. They should also invest in creating better jobs and stronger communities. Read the op-ed here.

Procurement with Purpose: Improving Job Quality and Equity Through Public Procurement Reform

This paper demonstrates how the federal government’s $2.1 trillion in annual purchasing power can be leveraged to enhance standards for job quality. It highlights practical ways procurement can ensure that public dollars not only buy products, but also support secure, sustainable jobs. Read the paper to learn more.

High-Road Practices in Action

A High Road Company’s Rapid Response to COVID-19: A Conversation with Marlin Steel President Drew Greenblatt

Baltimore’s Marlin Steel is known for pairing innovative production with a focus on its associates, including above-average pay, cross-training, and regular bonuses. When the COVID-19 pandemic created urgent new demands, the company adapted quickly, producing test tube racks and other equipment while relying on voluntary overtime to meet deadlines. In this conversation from April 2020, President Drew Greenblatt describes how the workforce stepped up to deliver critical supplies, underscoring how a commitment to workers can strengthen a company’s ability to respond in times of crisis. Catch the whole conversation here.

Investing in People Is an Investment in the Business: Talent Development Leads to Strong Business Outcomes

In this piece, my colleague Chelsea Miller, associate director of our UpSkill America initiative, highlights Marlin Steel’s philosophy that supporting employees is essential to long-term competitiveness. It reinforces how investing in workers is also an investment in business success.