A steel plant in Indiana closed in 2017, and hundreds of jobs went to Mexico. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Farah Stockman about her book: Made in America-What happens to people when jobs disappear.

Soon after the election of the chairman was held in 2016, Donald Trump sent an angry tweet. He criticized plans to close a steel plant in Indiana and transfer many jobs to Mexico. In any case, the job was transferred and Trump continued to move forward. But for reporter Farah Stockman, this is the beginning of a story. She started talking to workers who lost their jobs in Rexnord, who manufactured steel ball bearings of various sizes and descriptions.

FARAH STOCKMAN: It reduces the friction of bicycles, escalators, cars, and conveyor belts. One of the women I followed Shannon said when she saw the suspension bridge in Florida, it was mine.

INSKEEP: Stockman put three laid-off workers at the center of her new book "Made in America: What Will Happen to People When Jobs Are Lost." She followed these three for many years because they lost their jobs, were excited about Trump, lost confidence in Trump, and tried to find new positions in the ever-changing economy. Their old employer ordered them to complete their work by training their Mexican substitutes.

Stockman: Shannon is in charge of these dangerous furnaces. You know, she is a true feminist-a blue-collar feminist. Because of that factory job, she had the courage to leave a violent man. I really want to know what it feels like to be told that your job is disappearing, because these people here will do it cheaper. When I met Shannon, she was deciding whether to train her Mexican substitute. And she was troubled for a long time.

INSKEEP: What choice did they make?

Stockman: Yes. So Shannon is a white woman, and she finally decided to train her replacement. She accepted the bonus and trained her replacement, in fact, she was very close to the Mexicans she trained. She said: "I'm lucky to get this job. I hate to see it happen, but now it's your turn to be blessed."

Wally is the black man I follow. He has served a sentence in prison, so this job really helped him get his life back on track. He finally told me that God had closed the factory so that he could open a restaurant. He is a believer in the American Dream. He is the most optimistic person I have ever met.

The last person I followed closely was John. He is a diehard of the union and the grandson of a coal miner. And he is really a combative anti-training. Many black workers think, hey, refusal to train these Mexicans is racist.

Stockman: So this really shows how they are—you know, when the factory closed, their different identities made them unable to speak in one voice.

INSKEEP: When is their last day of work?

Stockman: They left at different times in 2017. I followed them through other parts of the Trump administration and really figured out where they would find jobs after that? Has this changed their views on politics?

Inskip: What did they find?

Stockman: So Shannon ended up with incredible luck—I wrote a story about her in the New York Times, and a wealthy New York lawyer paid off her mortgage. So, for the first time in her life, she deposited money in the bank and had nothing to do. She was very depressed and painful because she didn't have a job. So for me, the biggest gain-the biggest gain-is how much work it means for these people, how work is more than just a salary.

INSKEEP: You said Wally dreams of opening a restaurant. Did he do it?

Stockman: I followed Wally for one year. I brought a plate of pork with him (laughter), and he was definitely doing it-I don't know if I can have a spoiler alert here. He had a heart attack. One day he felt chest pain and did not go to the hospital because he did not have medical insurance. So this is another important takeaway for me, which is that losing a job can be fatal, especially in countries where health care is closely related to work.

INSKEEP: What happened to another worker-union member John. He is radical and wants to prevent them from closing the factory?

Stockman: Yes. So John is a stubborn union member. He was the one who voted for Trump in 2016. But he is distressed whether he gets a job in a factory that will make him a steel worker again or does maintenance work in a hospital. You know, the money is low. But this is the second time he has closed the factory. He had experienced it as early as 10 years ago. So he decided to accept a lower-paying job in the hospital because he said, I don’t know how long that factory will be here. John sees his salary drop from $28 an hour to $25 an hour, and then to $23. When the factory closed, he was trying to find a job with an hourly salary of $17. So yes, he ended up doing maintenance work in the hospital. This is the 2020 he spent in the hospital-COVID.

INSKEEP: We should note that this is a period. With some exceptions, such as the first few months of COVID, the US economy has grown. As a country, we are becoming richer and richer. But not everyone.

Stockman: Not everyone. We are an extremely unequal country. Another important takeaway is that almost all decisions in this country are made by people with college degrees—in fact, if you look at Congress and the editorial board, it’s advanced degrees. Since 1953, every president has a college degree. However, two-thirds of Americans do not have a college degree. Many policies, even those designed to help them, are not-poorly designed because the country’s policymakers do not understand the blue-collar class. They do not understand their economic reality.

INSKEEP: One of the reasons I want to talk to you is that when reading this book, I have a clear impression that you have become radical and opposed to NAFTA and free trade.

Stockman: (Laughter) I don't know about radicalization. Look. I think free trade agreements have many advantages. Yes-you know, globalization is a good thing for people like me. I benefited from it. And I think many white-collar workers have benefited a lot from it. But I saw the shortcomings for the first time.

INSKEEP: Farah Stockman (Farah Stockman) is the author of the new book "Made in America: What Will Happen to People When Jobs Are Lost". thank you very much.

Stockman: Thank you very much for letting me play.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: (singing) Early in the morning, the factory whistle sounded. The man gets up from the bed...

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