We do not have sufficient labor in this country to manufacture at previous scales without immigration.
I worked for 3M before retiring. 3M’s manufacturing facilities are mostly located in towns with populations between 10,000 and 30,000. I retired a couple of years ago, but for the previous ten years (at least), our plants could not find enough workers. They had “NOW HIRING” signs that should have been made permanent. This shortage affected all levels, from entry-level production to engineers.
Consider the number of engineers. Currently, in the US, we have twice the number of engineers per capita as in 1970, despite deindustrialization.
If you oppose immigration, you must acknowledge that we cannot sustain manufacturing. The US government often provides misleading information, but some numbers can serve as a reference. The unemployment rate was less than 4%, indicating full employment (all those willing and able to work were working). There is full employment, with probably 16 million or more illegal immigrants working. Who will replace them and fill all the new manufacturing jobs?
Either we have millions of able-bodied workers unwilling to work, or we don’t have enough people to fill jobs. If it is the former, why would they suddenly be willing to work? Some argue that the pay isn’t good enough. Well, they could move to Brookings, SD, and get a job at the 3M manufacturing facility. There isn’t a high-paying job for the type of job they want at the exact location they want. I doubt these same folks would work at this plant if it was in their neighborhood. The pay is too low, and the work is too difficult compared to what they are currently doing.
I agree that wages are low and have not kept up with inflation. However, I don’t agree that this justifies not working. The type of person who refuses to work and makes excuses is unlikely to succeed in a manufacturing job. They don’t even make good citizens or neighbors. Entitlement is not a good character trait.
We have painted ourselves into a corner, and the only way out is through serious amounts of work and discomfort. The US is like a morbidly obese person hoping for Ozempic to make weight loss easy. There is no Ozempic for what ails us.