Individual states have little say in the global trade policies of the federal government, but some have been threatened much more than others by increased international competition.
The federal government provides job training, relocation allowances and wage subsidies to workers who have had their jobs lost or threatened by trade. Since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect two decades ago, more than 2.7 million workers have qualified for the program — called Trade Adjustment Assistance — most from manufacturing industries.
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Records of Trade Adjustment Assistance certifications demonstrate wide disparities among states. Those heavily invested in low-wage manufacturing industries had the largest shares of their workforce threatened by trade.
SOURCES: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, media reports. Published August 22, 2014.
