We have been thinking about and talking about trade a lot these days. It is in the news every day as Trump tariff taxes on imports go up and down, and then they are put on hold as the rich get richer and the rest of us watch as our 401 (k) s and retirement accounts shrink.
Here is what the import/export picture looks like in Minnesota. We import more than we export.
When I was in college, which I admit was a long time ago, we were taught that our economy had shifted from manufacturing to an information and service-based economy. I guess that isn’t a thing anymore, but I do know that when manufacturing comes roaring back, the people who manufacture and program robots will come out ahead.
There is a labor shortage in the US, which makes things interesting. On the one hand, our wealthy leaders want to see more manufacturing a labor shortage exists in the US, though the situation has improved somewhat since the height of the pandemic. The number of job openings continues to outpace the number of unemployed workers, with many employers struggling to find qualified candidates. While the gap is shrinking, the US still faces a significant challenge in filling open positions.
There is also a skills gap in that particularly in manufacturing and in health care. We don’t have enough workers with the right skills.
If I were young and just starting out, I would learn robotics. As a woman could probably do better in robotics than in health care.
I have spent my entire life working in the service sector. No regrets. Minnesota’s top employer is the Mayo Clinic. Minnesota’s top 16 employers are health care, government, and financial
