New Data Feature: Jobs at Risk from the Korea FTA

In previous additions to the Trade Data Center, we have examined the impact of past unfair trade deals such as NAFTA in your community through official government job loss data. But now we wish to look into the future. Or, rather, a future. A future where Congress has voted to approve the Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA), putting at risk thousands of jobs.

We have tallied the number of jobs in each congressional district and state that are in industries predicted to be harmed by the Korea FTA. The U.S. International Trade Commission projects that implementation of the Korea FTA will lead to a combined $2 billion rise in the U.S. trade deficit in electronics, motor vehicles and parts, other transportation equipment, metal products, iron-containing metals, textiles, and apparel (among other sectors), which could endanger the jobs of workers in those industries. We have determined the approximate number of jobs at risk from the Korea FTA in each state and congressional district with data on individual facilities in these industries and a little programming magic. (Data nerds – you know who you are – can read about how we did it here).

Viewing the number of jobs at risk in your state and congressional district is easy. Just go to the page with the database here, select your state, and type in your congressional district or "Statewide" for your statewide numbers, and click "search". It gives you a breakdown of the jobs in each of the seven sectors most at risk from the Korea FTA.

 

 


 

In the current job climate with almost 10 percent unemployment, we can't afford another job-killing NAFTA-style trade deal like the Korea FTA. Click here to contact your representative and help stop the Korea FTA.

You can explore other great features in the Trade Data Center here.

Comments

[Marvin Reese]

As a grassroot economist we have tracked the economy since 1967. An untold story is the real economic crisis in America and its future. We mean the current account. Everytime the economy explodes it has something to with it. From 2001 to 2007 the current account (black hole) snatched 4.2 trillions from our economy. The last three years 2005,2006 and 2007 added up to 2.3 trillion dollars left our country When the economy start to really expand again it will collapse and repeat 2008 or worst.www.tradecrisis.org

[Monte]

This is BS! This Government has allowed way to many jobs to be outsourced to other Countries already. Now they want to outsource more? How damn stupid is the Government?

[Lois Jennings]

Stop blaming the government (that's us) for outsourcing jobs - that is a business decision of big corporations that have no allegiance to the US or its people. The only thing the govt can do is to make it unprofitable for them, Obama has proposed doing just that but of course Republicans who are in the majority now don't believe that govt should do anything. No regulation. Let the almighty Market rule.