It is hard to avoid the conclusion that artificial intelligence, in the the form of embodied robots, will be an important part of the business case if manufacturing facilities return to the United States as part of restoring policies and firm responses, jobs will indeed be created, but not at the scale of the pre-offshoring era, it is reasonable to predict.
Automation, particularly robots using artificial intelligence, likely will handle much of the repetitive, labor-intensive work.
Study/Source | Estimated Job Creation | Role of Automation | Key Insights |
Forbes (2025) | Hyundai's $20 billion investment expected to create 1,500 jobs in Louisiana | Automation is a major factor in reducing traditional manufacturing jobs. | Manufacturing production is high, but job creation is modest due to automation replacing manual labor. |
Davron (2024) | Reshoring creates advanced manufacturing jobs requiring higher skills and wages | Advanced manufacturing relies heavily on technology, reducing reliance on manual labor. | Reshoring fosters innovation but requires a skilled workforce trained for automated processes. |
Business Insider (2024) | Reshoring could add $10 trillion to the economy over the next decade | High-tech sectors benefit most, integrating automation for efficiency. | Automation is central to reshoring efforts, enhancing productivity but limiting traditional job growth. |
Christian Science Monitor (2025) | AI-driven factories may add slightly more jobs than they destroy | Factories integrate AI and robotics to increase efficiency and resilience. | Human roles shift toward managing robots and AI rather than performing manual tasks. |
Shoplogix (2023) | Robotics create new roles like technicians and engineers but displace manual labor jobs | Robots perform repetitive tasks faster and more accurately than humans. | Upskilling is essential as traditional roles are replaced by tech-focused positions. |
LinkedIn (2025) | Manufacturing output increased 15% since 2020, employment rose only 3% | Automation reduces factory jobs while creating opportunities in high-tech roles. | Reshoring with automation boosts productivity but limits job creation in traditional sectors. |
Where an existing garment factory presently operating in Southeast Asia employs X workers, a repatriated operation in the United States might require perhaps 10 percent to 20 percent of those workers. Recall that the reason such facilities moved from U.S. domestic locations to off shore is precisely lower labor rates.
Assuming higher U.S. wage rates, the only way the economics would work is if far fewer workers were required.
Study/Analysis | Source | Key Findings on Job Increases | Automation Consideration | Date |
Reshoring Initiative Report | Reshoring Initiative | Estimated 1.6 million jobs reshored from 2010-2022, with potential for more if trends continue. | Notes automation reduces job counts; 2022 data shows 364,000 jobs added, but robotics limits scale vs. past. | 2022 |
Oxford Economics: How Robots Change the World | Oxford Economics | Robots could displace 20 million global manufacturing jobs by 2030, but reshoring may add some back. | Predicts automation will cap U.S. job gains; historical 1.6 jobs lost per robot suggests fewer net gains. | 2019 |
MIT: Robots and Jobs | Acemoglu and Restrepo (NBER) | Between 1990-2007, 1 robot per 1,000 workers reduced employment by 6 workers locally. | Automation in reshored facilities could mean 50-70% fewer jobs than offshored totals due to robot density. | 2017 |
Ball State University: Manufacturing Study | Center for Business and Economic Research | U.S. lost 5.8 million manufacturing jobs (1980-2016), mostly to productivity automation, not trade. | Suggests reshoring creates high-skill jobs (e.g., technicians), but far fewer than original low-skill positions. | 2017 |
McKinsey Global Institute: Future of Work | McKinsey | Automation could displace 16-20 million U.S. jobs by 2030, but reshoring may offset some losses. | Highlights that returning facilities will lean on robots/AI, creating 10-20% of original job numbers. | 2017 |
ITIF: Robotics and Production | Information Technology and Innovation Foundation | Robotics boosts productivity, potentially adding manufacturing jobs in developed nations. | Job growth tied to engineers/tech roles; traditional labor replaced by robots, reducing total job count. | 2019 |
Brookings: Automation and Jobs | Brookings Institution | Automation offsets job losses from trade, but reshoring impact limited by tech adoption. | Estimates 100-150 jobs per large reshored factory, vs. 500-1,000 historically, due to automated processes. | 2015, 2022 |
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