The Globe’s Hiawatha Bray rightly gives credit where credit is due, to wit: how President Trump’s tariffs may be helping at least a few manufacturers in Massachusetts, such as Avon’s AccuRounds. … But, unfortunately, don’t expect a big bump in new jobs because of tariffs. And certainly don’t expect a return to the glory days when one out of four jobs in Massachusetts were tied to manufacturing. Today, only one in 20 jobs are tied to manufacturing – and the downward trend continues. Over the past year alone, manufacturing employment has fallen by 2,000 workers in Massachusetts, according to state employment data. … That doesn’t mean there aren’t occasional spikes in manufacturing jobs, such as in 2013 when I was writing for the Globe about a “mini-renaissance’” in manufacturing in the state. But it always seems to be one step forward, two steps back when it comes to manufacturing jobs in Massachusetts. …

… Don’t get me wrong: The state needs manufacturing jobs. They help diversify the economy. They provide solid work for those who can’t get, or don’t want, college degrees. The state can and should do more to help the sector, largely in the form of training programs for increasingly sophisticated and attractive “advanced” manufacturing positions. But just don’t expect big gains in manufacturing employment. It’s not going to happen. I don’t agree with everything Steven Rattner says in his recent NYT column (“Manufacturing Jobs Are Never Coming Back”) but he’s right to say powerful market forces and trends are working against major U.S. gains in manufacturing employment in general.