The Real US Jobs Disruptor? America's Own Future

The nostalgic vision of a workforce returning to the shop floor en masse is simply incompatible with the reality that today's manufacturing jobs require mechanical, electrical and digital competencies. A high-school graduate without specialized vocational training cannot simply walk into one of these roles - no matter how high tariffs are raised.

The last time the US imposed broad-based tariffs under President Trump, they didn't bring back jobs; rather, they raised costs for businesses and consumers. American manufacturers, instead of benefiting, paid more for steel and aluminum, leading to automation, price hikes and, ultimately, job losses.

To be fair, reshoring manufacturing is about more than jobs. It's about national security, supply chain resilience and technological leadership. A strong industrial base ensures the US can produce critical goods, from semiconductors to military hardware. The CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Bill - initiated under Trump's predecessor - were meant to lay the groundwork for this effort.

As a job creation tool, however, tariffs have missed the mark. A 2019 Federal Reserve study found that President Trump's tariffs cost the US 175,000 jobs as rising costs forced businesses to cut workers or automate.

Another Federal Reserve analysis found that manufacturing employment fell 2.7% due to tariffs, while the Tax Foundation projected that the Trump-Biden Section 301 and 232 tariffs would shrink GDP and eliminate 142,000 full-time jobs.

A US-China Business Council study estimated 245,000 jobs lost due to President Trump's trade policies alone. Tariffs also harm industries that are actually hiring. Construction, for instance, which faces a 439,000-worker shortag in 2025, depends on affordable steel.

If Washington is serious about reviving blue-collar employment, two key areas deserve attention.

First, expanding vocational training and workforce conversion programs for Americans without traditional tech backgrounds could unlock significant economic benefits. A standout model is Step IT Up, a US Department of Labor-Registered Apprenticeship progra designed to fast-track workers with no prior IT experience into full-time tech roles.

Originally launched in the US and now introduced in Singapore by digital services consultancy Temus , Step IT Up has already placed over 5,000 workers around the world with an exceptional track record.

Unlike conventional training programs, Step IT Up follows a“hire, place and train” model, guaranteeing participants a full-time tech role upon graduation and removing the uncertainty that often deters workers from re-skilling.

Beyond job security, the financial benefits are significant. In the US, tech workers earn nearly 40% above the national median household income, while in Singapore, they make approximately 50% more .

These figures highlight the economic mobility that structured vocational training and workforce conversion programs can provide, making them a powerful tool for blue-collar workers looking to transition into higher-paying, tech-enabled roles.

What makes a program like Step IT Up particularly effective is its structured, accelerated training model, which equips workers with job-ready digital skills without requiring a college degree.

By scaling proven workforce conversion programs like Step IT Up, especially in manufacturing, construction, logistics, and other industries transformed by digitalization, Washington can ensure that technology serves as a tool for economic empowerment rather than a force of displacement.

Second, infrastructure investments could provide a stronger foundation for job creation than protectionism ever could. The nation's roads, bridges and power grids are aging into crisis, with bridges averaging 44 years old, major water pipes 45 and dams 57. The Baltimore bridge collapse, failures on Interstate 95 and mounting airport delays underscore the cost of neglect.

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The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates a $1.44 trillion shortfall in infrastructure funding through 2025, with only 56% of necessary investments covered. Airports alone face a $42 billion gap since 2016. While China poured $8 trillion into infrastructure in a single year, the US has allowed its backbone to erode.

More importantly, infrastructure investment isn't just overdue - it's an economic multiplier. Each $100 billion in infrastructure spending could boost job growth by roughly 1 million full-time equivalents if monetary policy accommodates the fiscal boost. Improved roads, ports and energy grids boost productivity, reduce transport costs and enhance competitiveness.

On balance, the problem isn't that foreign competitors have hollowed out America's industrial base and stolen its jobs. The real failure is closer to home – a neglect of the workers and infrastructure needed to power the industries of the future.

Tariffs won't resurrect low-skill factory jobs because American workers demand higher wages and better conditions than their counterparts in China or Vietnam, where manufacturing costs are a fraction of those in the US.

Instead of chasing an economy that America had earlier outgrown, the focus should be on growing industries that require skilled labor, aligning work with the economic and social expectations of today's American workforce. The jobs of tomorrow won't be found in reviving the past but rather in building what comes next.

Marcus Loh is a director at Temus, a digital transformation services firm headquartered in Singapore, where he leads public affairs, marketing and strategic communication. He was formerly president of the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore. Loh presently serves on the digital transformation chapter executive committee of SG Tech, the leading trade association for Singapore's technology industry.

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