Public Citizen and EPI on Trade and Employment

Bryan Riley / October 01, 2010

Reports from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) are being misrepresented by leftist organizations like the AFL-CIO and the Alliance for American Manufacturing. The purpose of these misrepresentations? To create a false and misleading picture of the relationship between international trade and employment. Close examination reveals that trade deficits are not to blame for the high level of unemployment in the United States.

EPI has released several studies on job displacement triggered by international trade. Job displacement consists of a person moving from one job to another, and is not to be confused with job loss. For example, 10,000 people leaving their jobs as burger-flippers to become surgeons or engineers would be reported by EPI as 10,000 displaced U.S. jobs. (more…)