Donald J. Trump’s electoral victory, Brexit and the growing prominence of anti-trade and anti-immigration far-right political parties in Europe appear closely linked in timing and motivation. Some have interpreted this to mean that Trump voters and supporters of far-right parties in Europe must be the losers of globalization in jobs like manufacturing.
There is no denying that there have been large-scale layoffs and job losses in manufacturing in recent years. Those should be put in context, however. Workers are laid off much more frequently in sectors like construction, retail and even professional services. And data show that the people more likely to have suffered losses in jobs and income from trade are no more likely to vote for the far right.
