Catherwood LibraryILR School

Blue-collar jobs in the goods-producing sectors such as the mining, construction and manufacturing industries grew 3.3 percent in the year preceding July, the highest rate since 1984. Much of the recent blue-collar job growth can be attributed to rebounding oil prices, and rebuilding efforts post-hurricanes Harvey and Irma. A strong global economy has also fueled the construction and manufacturing industries, which have driven most of the growth. Rural employment grew at an annualized rate of 5.1 percent in the first quarter, with smaller metro areas growing 5 percent – both larger than the 4.1 percent growth in large urban areas, according to a report by the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program. The economy has added 656,000 blue-collar jobs, while the services sector has added 1.7 million, but the rate of growth in blue-collar jobs is accelerating, while service-sector job growth has hovered around 1.3 percent for the past year. The good news may not last forever; long-term growth still favors technological industries and large cities, and Trump’s tariff war may dent momentum.