For years, U.S. manufacturing has been framed as an industry in steady decline, defined by offshoring and shuttered plants. But a new analysis argues that narrative no longer fits reality, Fast Company reports. Manufacturing today is hiring—and struggling to fill hundreds of thousands of open rol es—despite modest job losses over the past year. Investment—driven by reshoring, foreign direct investment and federal policies like the CHIPS and Science Act and Inflation Reduction Act— is fueling new factories, expansions and long-term demand for skilled workers. The problem, Fast Company writes, is perception. Many workers still view manufacturing as unstable, low-tech or undesirable, even as modern facilities rely on advanced technology, offer competitive pay and play a central role in clean energy, supply-chain resilience and national security. Without a shift in how the sector is portrayed, talent shortages could deepen and investment momentum could stall. Reframing manufacturing as a career pathway of opportunity, growth and innovation is critical to sustaining the industry’s revival. Read more from Fast Company. ...read more read less