sewing in america

Manufacturing in the U.S. is starting to make a comeback, and is poised for even bigger gains in the years ahead.

That, at least, is the way the optimists see it.

A small but growing number of clothing designers and retailers are bringing some production back to the U.S. The firms cite rising labor costs, poor quality and long lead times in China.

One of the biggest challenges facing the American economy is that we lack a domestic manufacturing base. Simply put we do not produce anything anymore. We buy tons of foreign goods and then wonder why we are lacking jobs.

The 2012 elections are taking shape as a referendum on the U.S. economy. Which is a very good thing. We’re a decade overdue for a frank national conversation about American innovation in the twenty-first century.

Without a robust revival in the manufacturing sector, we can kiss our status as a great economic power goodbye.