Stiglitz warns blue-collar job losses will worsen as automation rises and tariffs falter
Feb 22nd 2026
Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz told CNBC that manufacturing and other blue-collar jobs fell despite tariff efforts, automation poses growing risk, and a Supreme Court ruling undercuts the administration's tariff strategy.
- Stiglitz said the U.S. economy is "not great right now" and that prospects are "going to get worse" for blue-collar workers.
- Blue-collar sectors including manufacturing, construction, mining, transportation and utilities lost nearly 166,000 jobs between February 2025 and January 2026.
- The economy added 130,000 jobs in January but those gains were concentrated in healthcare and not tied to tariff policies.
- Oxford Economics estimated about 20% of U.S. jobs are at risk from automation, with about 60% of transportation and logistics jobs highly vulnerable.
- The Supreme Court ruled the administration cannot use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose the tariffs, a decision that could require about $175 billion in refunds and weakens the reshoring case.