The White House Just Put Hard Numbers on the Factory Comeback. Don't Let Midterm Panic Talk You Out of It
The Council of Economic Advisers reported Oct. 10 that manufacturing is up 72,000 jobs so far in 2026, with durable goods up 101,000. In our view, that is the rebuttal to this week's tariff scare stories — if Washington stays the course and owns the hard cases.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 12, 2026 | 6-min read On Friday, while cable panels rehearsed a midterm panic about tariffs, the White House Council of Economic Advisers put a quieter fact sheet on the table. Its October report, "The State of American Manufacturing," says U.S. manufacturing employment is up 72,000 so far in 2026, led by a 101,000 gain in durable goods, including metal production and transportation equipment [1]. In our view, that is not a press-office slogan. It is the beginning of the factory comeback President Trump promised — and the strongest answer to the scare stories that landed this weekend. Now the hard part is finishing the job without blinking. Key Takeaways CEA's Oct. 10 report says manufacturing jobs are up 72,000 in 2026 year to date, with durable goods up 101,000; it credits tariffs, investment incentives and reshoring [1]. Blue-collar manufacturing wages are up about $2,500 a year in inflation-adjusted terms since January 2025, per CEA's reading of BLS data; construction wages are up more [1]. An AP story published Oct. 11 highlights plant closings and an AP-NORC poll finding only about 3 in 10 adults approve of Trump's trade handling,