Imports: Does u.s. Employment Decline Because of International Trade? [Pdf]

Students are introduced to controversial statements about the value of international trade and the importance of preserving U.S. jobs in the face of increasing foreign imports. They are asked to consider evidence at the micro level on employment and imports during a 10-year period; to look for a causal relationship between import growth and job loss; to consider evidence at a macro level on employment and imports during the same 10-year period; and to evaluate who is likely to favor increased trade and who is likely to see increased trade as a threat to employment. (Note: Data in the investigation may be somewhat out of date, and teachers may wish to update it using the data citation.)