It looks like Apple is finally doing something that could satisfy President Trump. The company has pledged to invest $1 billion in US (manufacturing) industries. This is expected to create thousands of new jobs.
CEO Tim Cook indicated earlier in an interview that he expects Apple's investment to spread like an oil slick; new manufacturing jobs will also create other jobs around it because of the service-oriented industry that is being created. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, this is true. For every dollar invested in manufacturing, $1.81 flows back into the economy. So the multiplier effect is huge, according to specialists.
Advanced manufacturing
During the presidential campaign, Trump expressed several times his desire for Apple to move all its manufacturing plants to the US. Earlier, the president prevented Carrier, a powerhouse in air conditioning and refrigerator manufacturing, from moving its production from Indiana to Mexico. However, experts at the time said that in Apple's case, this would only create low-skilled, underpaid and easily automated jobs. Moreover, it would hamper Apple's growth and thus negatively impact the 2 million jobs Apple already (indirectly) facilitates in the country.
The 1 billion is mainly for the development of advanced manufacturing and new technologies such as 3D printing. In this, both on the production process side and the final product side, almost 1 million jobs have already been added since 2010. "People who deny that you can do anything with industrial jobs are not looking closely at the evidence," one expert argues to Wired.com. In particular, he points out that everything is connected via the internet. "If Apple really focuses this investment on advanced manufacturing, integrating technologies into products and therefore retail, it could be beneficial for the whole industry."
Other skills
There is a but, though. Even if Apple promises to invest 1 billion in companies that create new manufacturing jobs, companies still need to find skilled workers to fill those jobs. Manufacturers see many opportunities in advanced manufacturing, but there are still too few skilled professionals to fill these jobs. "The manufacturing industry is now digital. That requires a different set of skills."
It is not yet clear whether Apple's US-focused investment will affect the manufacturing industry in Europe.
By: Kelly Bakker
