Vice President JD Vance defended the Trump administration’s manufacturing record this week, arguing that its economic program is restoring factory work to the United States even as federal employment data continued to show that manufacturing jobs have not yet felt fully inspired by the message.

The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed total nonfarm payroll employment rising modestly in April while the unemployment rate held steady. Manufacturing, however, was listed among the major industries showing little change over the month, an outcome that allowed administration officials to continue speaking confidently about a comeback still taking shape in speech form.

Table B-1 of the same release showed manufacturing employment slipping from 12.598 million in March to 12.596 million in April, a decline of 2,000 jobs. Compared with April of last year, the sector was down 66,000 jobs. Officials did not dispute the numbers, noting instead that the broader direction of policy should be viewed in its most aspirational form.

Vance has presented the administration’s trade and industrial agenda as a turning point for American workers, particularly in regions hollowed out by decades of factory closures and offshoring. Supporters say the message reflects a long-overdue effort to rebuild domestic industry. Critics have pointed out that a comeback is generally easier to recognize once it begins hiring people.

The same BLS release also reported that the number of Americans working part time for economic reasons rose by 445,000 to 4.9 million in April. Even so, the administration has continued to describe the economy in sturdy terms, with particular emphasis on the manufacturing revival currently most visible in prepared remarks, campaign-style appearances, and industrial backdrops spacious enough to accommodate the absence of workers.