Which process describes the decline of manufacturing jobs in U.S. cities?

• A. Deindustrialization
• B. Industrialization
• C. Globalization
• D. Diversification

Answer: (A)

Deindustrialization describes the decline of manufacturing jobs in urban areas. It captures the shift away from factory-based employment as production moves elsewhere, factories close, or automation reduces labor needs, causing cities that once relied on manufacturing to lose jobs and pivot toward other sectors such as services.

Industrialization is the growth of manufacturing, so it’s the opposite of what the question asks. Globalization can contribute to manufacturing declines by enabling offshoring, but it refers to global integration rather than the specific process of urban job loss. Diversification means broadening an economy’s activities, not the decline of manufacturing.