Press Releases

Minerva, OH – Today, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) hosted Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-6) for a facility tour to meet employees and a business leader roundtable to discuss the positive impact of tax reform and the need to fill the high-skilled jobs required for modern manufacturing, which is critical to Ohio’s economic prosperity.

Thanks to Rep. Johnson’s support for tax reform, manufacturers in Ohio and across America are delivering for manufacturing workers and their communities, said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. We are keeping our promise to raise wages, hire new workers, buy equipment and make investments for the future. But at the same time, manufactures are facing a workforce crisis. With 482,000 jobs open today, manufacturers are in desperate need of talented workers to fill high-paying jobs. Manufacturers will need to fill more than 3 million jobs through 2025, but as many as 2 million could go unfilled if we don’t fundamentally transform our nation’s workforce development strategy. Manufacturers appreciate the work of leaders like Rep. Johnson to equip more people with the skills to secure a rewarding, meaningful career in modern manufacturing.

During the visit, company leaders thanked Rep. Johnson for voting in favor of the historic tax reform package and reiterated their optimism for the future of manufacturing in Ohio.

Reforming our nation’s outdated tax code through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has energized our economy, resulting in the lowest unemployment rate since 2000, record job creation, rising wages, and high levels of consumer and business optimism, said Rep. Johnson. It is absolutely vital that manufacturers in Eastern Ohio and across the country are supported, and I appreciated the opportunity to tour the AAM facility in Minerva and speak directly with employees there. I look forward to continuing my work to promote sensible policies that help both workers and employers—policies that ensure everyone wins.

The roundtable focused on the importance of building on the momentum of tax reform and helping build the high-skilled workforce to fill modern manufacturing jobs.

Manufacturing contributes an estimated $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy and supports 687,400 jobs in Ohio alone, according to the NAM. Since the enactment of tax reform, the manufacturing industry has added 192,000 jobs—more than double the number of jobs created over the same period last year.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.