Baltimore is fortunate to have a thriving craft scene and a growing base of small-scale makers. Over at the Etsy blog, they're taking a look at whether or not independent artisans can make an impact on the economy.
"And though I'm no economist, I can recognize that one of the ongoing concerns about U.S. economic woes is the loss of manufacturing jobs like the ones at the sock mill. Twenty years ago there were about 400 similarly sized mills in the U.S. Today there are 100. America's desire for cheap goods, along with expanding markets in other countries, has driven a lot of manufacturing overseas. Some argue that the abundance of safety and environmental regulations and the high cost of health care and pensions make it impossible for America to compete on a global scale, and that manufacturing will never return to the U.S."
Read the full post
here.