Week 11 Post

The process of deindustrialization that occurred in Pennsylvania during the 1970s and 1980s had significant economic, political, and social consequences for the working class in the state. Deindustrialization led to the loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania. Many of these jobs were unionized and provided high wages and benefits that allowed workers to achieve a middle-class lifestyle. As these jobs disappeared, workers faced significant challenges in finding new employment opportunities that offered similar wages and benefits. Many of the jobs that emerged in the service  were lower-paying and non-unionized, making it difficult for workers to maintain their standard of living.Politically, the decline of the manufacturing sector in Pennsylvania had a profound impact on the state’s political area. The state had long been a favorable place of the Democratic Party, which had strong ties to the labor movement. However, as the manufacturing jobs disappeared, many workers shifted their political allegiances to the Republican Party, which was seen as more friendly to business interests. The impact of deindustrialization was felt deeply in many communities across Pennsylvania. The loss of jobs and economic opportunities led to a decline in population in many small towns and cities throughout the state. This, in turn, led to a decline in civic engagement and a sense of community in these areas. Additionally, the loss of manufacturing jobs had a disproportionate impact on minority communities, which had traditionally been excluded from many of the better-paying jobs in the sector. In terms of how the working class was “recycled” in the transition from an industrial to service-based economy, there were a few key strategies that emerged. One was retraining programs that aimed to provide workers with the skills they needed to find employment in the service sector. Another was the development of new industries in the state, such as healthcare and technology, which provided new job opportunities for workers. However, these efforts were not always successful in providing workers with the same level of wages and benefits that they had enjoyed in the manufacturing sector, and many workers continued to struggle to make ends meet in the new economy.