Where Washington Fails, States Must Step Up to Protect Good American Jobs

The recent raid at Hyundai’s plant in Georgia grabbed headlines as an immigration story. This moment, however, is about more than visas or workforce enforcement: It was a destabilizing event for US clean manufacturing investment and a baffling signal to our global partners. South Korea, one of our closest allies, raised sharp concerns in response, with President Lee Jae Myung warning that “Korean companies will be very hesitant to make direct investments in the United States.”

In an apparent attempt at damage control during his trip to Asia, President Trump publicly claimed that the Hyundai raid was a “bad idea.” But rather than reassuring allies, the comment deepened confusion about who is steering US policy and reinforced the perception of chaos inside the administration—further shaking investor confidence at a critical moment for clean manufacturing.

According to the annual US Energy and Employment Report from the Department of Energy (DOE), at least 239,000 US jobs are tied to the electric vehicle (EV), battery, and charging economy—and that figure is conservative. Many more Americans, from electricians to engineers, split their work between EVs and other parts of the energy system. Yet these jobs are increasingly at risk, with General Motors recently announcing cutbacks on EV and battery production, resulting in the elimination of 1,200 jobs at a Detroit plant. By eliminating EV tax credits, slowing federal charging investments, and putting billions in promised funds in limbo, Washington is fueling uncertainty. Companies are reacting by delaying investments, scaling back production, or closing doors altogether. GM’s cutbacks in Tennessee and the collapse of battery maker Natron Energy are just two recent warning signs of a market losing confidence in America’s leadership in this space. 

 Every federal rollback weakens America’s foothold in the global EV marketplace. Every day of uncertainty means thousands fewer US jobs, instability for families who depend on these paychecks, and the fraying promise of the American dream for workers just entering the labor market.

Meanwhile, China is moving full speed ahead and is now responsible for more than 70 percent of global EV production. Every federal rollback weakens America’s foothold in the global EV marketplace. Every day of uncertainty means thousands fewer US jobs, instability for families who depend on these paychecks, and the fraying promise of the American dream for workers just entering the labor market. When we fall behind in the global economy, it is workers who bear the costs.

While Washington remains intent on creating chaos, states can provide stability. Forward-thinking, commonsense state policies can backstop the volatility of the current policy environment to reassure investors, attract manufacturers, relieve workers, and create family-sustaining jobs with long-term futures. State leadership can strengthen our vehicle manufacturing base. This is how America once became the country the world wanted to invest in and build in—and how we can reclaim that mantle today. 

Red and blue states alike see what’s at stake. EVs and the batteries that power them are not just clean energy products—they’re an economic pillar, a job creator, and a path to lower costs for families. The competition to attract manufacturers and suppliers is fierce, but states don’t have to cut corners to win. They can draw investment without sacrificing health and safety standards, turning a blind eye to labor law enforcement, or promising rock-bottom wages.

With immigration under attack and visas increasingly out of reach, states must plug the workforce gap by growing their own talent. Foreign investors value a highly trained workforce because skilled workers deliver higher productivity, continuous innovation, and safer worksites. Investing in people is the surest way to secure the EV economy’s future—and to prove that America can lead without racing to the bottom.

To do this, states should create a dedicated system to ensure American workers can gain the specialized technical skills brought by foreign workers. European countries are doing this by bringing together employers, labor unions, and educators to set common job and training standards. When technical knowledge is spread throughout the industry’s domestic workforce and retained through collective bargaining agreements, good wages, and advancement opportunities, companies can compete on the strength of their products, technologies, and business models—not on their access to a finite pool of foreign talent. A highly skilled battery manufacturing workforce provides industry stability and creates a foundation for the types of leapfrog innovations and process efficiencies that America needs. 

Investing in people is the surest way to secure the EV economy’s future—and to prove that America can lead without racing to the bottom.

States don’t even have to start from scratch. Initiatives like the EV Infrastructure Training Program already keep electricians up-to-date with changing charging technologies. With input from industry partners, labor unions, and educational institutions, DOE’s Battery Workforce Initiative established national training guidelines certified by the Department of Labor and grounded in real factory work rather than guesswork. States can build upon this work by creating sectoral workforce councils made up of industry, labor, and training experts, providing them with dedicated funding and research capacity, and adopting their recommendations for credentials, apprenticeships, and workforce grants. This ensures training aligns with real jobs, raises worker skills across the industry, and gives workers a seat at the table.

Second, states should lean into tax credits and other incentives to drive market expansion and grow demand for American-made EVs. Colorado’s consumer EV tax credits, Maryland’s Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Grant Program, and Washington State’s EV Charging Infrastructure Grants are just a few examples of how states are supporting the transition to cleaner cars and trucks. Domestic content and labor standards tied to incentives help support US manufacturing as well as ongoing technology innovation. States that support and scale these types of programs will drive adoption of clean, electric cars and trucks, and help workers build fulfilling careers that benefit from global growth.

When the federal government pulls back, states can push ahead. Workers deserve better than the Trump administration’s theatrics. Communities deserve cleaner air and more affordable transportation. And the US deserves to lead—not lag—in the global race for EV adoption.

If Washington refuses to model the way forward, states must step up.