This death of manufacturing industries is something you hear about a lot in the UK press (and presumably elsewhere). But it isn't really true. The US is the largest manufacturer in the world in terms of USD value, the UK comes sixth:
While the sector has shrunk since the 1960s, the value of manufacturing has actually grown in real terms. At least in the UK, the economy is significantly more diverse than many people realise.
Slashdot Mirror
This death of manufacturing industries is something you hear about a lot in the UK press (and presumably elsewhere). But it isn't really true. The US is the largest manufacturer in the world in terms of USD value, the UK comes sixth:
http://investing.curiouscatblog.net/2009/10/13/data-on-the-largest-manufacturing-countries-in-2008/
Manufacturing still makes up more than 15% of the UKs economic output:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_in_the_United_Kingdom
While the sector has shrunk since the 1960s, the value of manufacturing has actually grown in real terms. At least in the UK, the economy is significantly more diverse than many people realise.