Last week my colleague, Rob Scott, published a report highlighting the impact of ongoing currency manipulation on employment in the United States.  In the report, Scott explained that currency manipulation by U.S. trading partners—including China, Denmark, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan—distorts trade flows in two ways.  It raises the cost of U.S. exports, and lowers the cost of U.S. imports.

Currency manipulation has cost the U.S. economy millions of jobs, including a disproportionately large share of manufacturing jobs. The impact of these job losses is clearly evident in the Midwest, which suffered significant manufacturing job losses. Further, the displacement of  manufacturing jobs not only meant fewer job opportunities, but also the elimination of unionized jobs that pay family-supporting wages.  Ending currency manipulation would likely lead to significant growth in the American manufacturing sector, a necessary step to begin rebuilding a strong middle class.

As seen in the figure above, the jobs created by ending currency manipulation would more than erase the jobs deficit in 11 states, including several Midwest and Northeast states.  These states include Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Iowa, Massachusetts, South Dakota, New York, Vermont and West Virginia.  In another 21 states, ending currency manipulation would create enough jobs to eliminate more than half of the jobs deficit remaining as of December 2013. With more than 8 million jobs needed nationwide to return to pre-recession employment rates, moving to end currency manipulation provides a means to take a very big step towards solving the ongoing employment crisis, nationwide, and in virtually every state.