Manufacturing Jobs under Jimmy Carter
Manufacturing Jobs went from 17.8M in Jimmy Carter's first month to 18.6M at month 48: a change of +4.7%. At that point in office it ranks #1 of 9 administrations since 1969. Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
All administrations at month 48
| Rank | Administration | Value at month 48 | Change since month 1 | Latest / end of month 48 | Primary federal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Jimmy Carter | 18.6M | +4.7% | 18.6M (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · MANEMP |
| #2 | Joe Biden | 12.7M | +4.5% | 12.7M (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · MANEMP |
| #3 | Bill Clinton | 17.3M | +2.9% | 17.3M (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · MANEMP |
| #4 | Donald Trump (first term) | 12.2M | −1.5% | 12.2M (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · MANEMP |
| #5 | Richard Nixon | 18.2M | −1.5% | 18.2M (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · MANEMP |
| #6 | Ronald Reagan | 18.0M | −3.3% | 18.0M (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · MANEMP |
| #7 | Barack Obama | 11.9M | −4.9% | 11.9M (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · MANEMP |
| #8 | George H. W. Bush | 16.8M | −7.1% | 16.8M (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · MANEMP |
| #9 | George W. Bush | 14.3M | −16.5% | 14.3M (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · MANEMP |
Methodology and source verification
Total manufacturing employment in millions (BLS, monthly). Ranked on the % change since each administration's month 0.
Every administration is aligned to its own inauguration: month 1 is the month it took office, and the comparison runs to month 48 (the first term). Each administration is compared at the same month in office, so a president halfway through a term is never measured against another's full four years.
Primary source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series MANEMP, refreshed hourly. Latest observation 2026-09-01, first published 2026-10-02. Full methods: methodology.