There are economic warning signs for Trump in the midwest - NY Times
Summary: Trump's economic performance boils down to this: Anywhere he's tried anything big, like agri and manufacturing, things have gotten worse. Everywhere he's left the Obama economy alone is doing great.
By Ben Casselman and Karl RussellDec. 16, 2019
The American economy has found its footing after a summer recession scare. But much of the Midwest is still stumbling.
President Trump campaigned in 2016 on a pledge to restore jobs — manufacturing jobs, specifically — to long-struggling Midwestern communities, and he has made the economy a centerpiece of his re-election campaign.
But job growth has slowed sharply this year in Michigan, Pennsylvania and other states that were critical to Mr. Trump’s victory in 2016, as well as in states like Minnesota that he narrowly lost. Hiring in the region has remained sluggish even as it has picked up this fall in much of the rest of the country. Other economic measures show similar weakness.
Job growth has been slow in key states.
The states are struggling in part because they depend heavily on manufacturing and agriculture, two sectors that have been hit especially hard by Mr. Trump’s trade war. Tariffs have driven up prices for imported parts and materials, and pushed down demand for American goods abroad.
“Apart from agriculture and manufacturing, everything’s going OK,” said Ernie Goss, an economist at Creighton University in Omaha who publishes an economic index that tracks nine states from Minnesota to Arkansas. “Well, in this part of the country that’s not comforting. Those are the two industries we depend on.”
Manufacturing job growth has been declining nationwide . . .
More: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/16/business/trump-midwest-swing-jobs.html
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