Tariffs won't help more men get jobs

Even when he has crazy ideas — and his tariff policy certainly seems crazy — he is often trying to address a legitimate concern.

- Allison Schrager

SAY THIS ABOUT Donald Trump: In the case of tariffs, they are part of the president's economic plan to provide men with better opportunities. It is a worthy goal, but tariffs will not help him reach it.

Some background: There is a sense that the globalization of the last several decades has mostly benefitted the coastal elites, while the rest of the country has suffered with stagnating wages, job loss, and drug addiction. It is not entirely true that trade is to blame, but there is no denying something is going wrong for many American men. Their participation in the labor market has been falling over time, suggesting they are not just unemployed, but leaving the labor force altogether.

Trump has warned Americans to expect some short-term pain as his administration steers the economy to a better place. His primary goal appears to be a restructuring of the economy to include more domestic manufacturing, which will help the male American worker. “The labor market's going to be fantastic,” he said, “but it's going to have high-paying manufacturing jobs, as opposed to government jobs.” Vice President JD Vance has echoed this sentiment.