The big question in Friday's jobs report is clear: Was the sharp slowdown in job growth in February a fluke, or a sign of a more significant downshift in the labor market? But I'll also be watching for another possible turning point, in manufacturing. Manufacturing has experienced an unexpected boomlet in the first two years of the Trump administration. American factories have added nearly half a million jobs since Trump took office. The sector has experienced 19 straight months of job growth -- the longest streak since the mid-1990s. But there are mounting questions about how long that strength can continue. American manufacturers are being battered from all sides: by tariffs, by cooling growth in China and Europe, by the waning effects of last year's tax cuts and government spending increases. Job growth in the sector in February was the slowest in more than a year, and data from ADP on Wednesday showed employment falling in March. For more on why manufacturing is slowing -- and what that means both economically and politically -- see my story in today's New York Times, and check out our coverage of the jobs report starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday. #manufacturing #employment #economy
ā¦see more
#manufacturing
#employment
#economy