Part 6/10:
The human stories resonate—laborers who once had stable, well-paying jobs now find themselves working at minimum wage with no benefits. Their children often face limited opportunities, caught in cycles of poverty. The economic transformation fueled by globalization didn't just impact jobs; it eroded the very fabric of communities, turning towns into decaying remnants of their former selves.
Every manufacturing job supported nearly two additional jobs up the supply chain, including service industries and professionals. As plants disappeared, so did these vital supporting roles, amplifying unemployment and economic hardship across entire regions of the Midwest—places like Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.