U.S. Manufacturing Malaise Raises Stakes for Trump-Xi Meeting

America's Factories Lose 2K Jobs in April

For Immediate Release: May 8, 2026

Washington, D.C. - U.S. factories lost 2,000 jobs in April, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.

Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:

"The stagnant factory jobs picture certainly raises the stakes for the upcoming summit between President Trump and Chairman Xi. Accommodating China with a tariff truce or allowing investment in key U.S. industries such as autos would set back efforts to reshore factory jobs and reinvigorate our manufacturing base.

"I continue to be bullish on the future of American factory jobs with so much investment and construction underway in the sector, but the shocks caused by the conflict with Iran and efforts to accommodate China present significant headwinds."

Ahead of President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting on May 14-15, AAM launched a campaign to block Chinese autos and automakers from entering the U.S. market. Watch the video here.

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