Auto Alliance Launches www.JobsFromAutos.com

January 26, 2012 -- In conjunction with the Washington, DC auto show, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is launching an awareness campaign to provide a clear picture of the greater auto industry in the United States.  

“When you think of the auto industry, the first thought may be of an assembly line worker in the Midwest.  And certainly, we do count on many, many assembly workers to be successful.  But there’s more to the story.  The auto industry is a massive employer stretching literally across America, providing 8 million households with great jobs,” said Mitch Bainwol, president and CEO, Auto Alliance.  “Through this new website, we will go behind the scenes to show how autos are made nationwide. Our message is simple: manufacturing matters in this country.”

Auto manufacturing is a major customer of many of our economy’s biggest names, including 3M, IBM, GE, HP, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle and more.  Half of the companies listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Average depend on autos for revenue. In fact, 47 states have more than 10,000 auto jobs, and 20 of those states have more than 100,000 auto-dependent jobs. 

On www.JobsFromAutos.com, videos will show employees in diverse jobs, including an electronic key fob manufacturer in NY, a recycler of aluminum for new cars in FL, an environmental engineer in IL, a designer in CA, an biomaterials engineer turning soy products into seat cushions in MI, and assembly workers in both the South and the Midwest.

Automakers directly employ 1.7 million people to design, engineer and manufacture new motor vehicles.  When indirect and community support jobs are added, automakers support a total of 3.1 million jobs nationwide.  Suppliers support another 3.3 million workers, and dealers support 1.5 million (direct, indirect and spin-off jobs).

Since 1 in every 17 jobs depends on autos, compensation arising from U.S. auto manufacturing is substantial.  Auto paychecks total more than $500 billion a year – or more than the U.S. spends annually on Medicare ($452 billion, FY 2011), and approaching the size of the Defense Department base budget ($553 billion, FY 2012).  In fact, the automotive payroll is almost double what all 50 states combined spend on public education ($260 billion). (Data obtained from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 

“The auto industry’s economic footprint is vast,” said Bainwol.  “In order to have a healthy U.S. economy, America needs a robust auto manufacturing sector.  Autos drive America forward by providing a powerful manufacturing presence in communities across the country, generating paychecks for millions of families and substantial tax revenues.”

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is a trade association of 12 car and light truck manufacturers including BMW Group, Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. Visit www.autoalliance.org for more information.