Today’s Free Trade Fact of the Day ^[1] comes from Heritage’s own Ambassador Terry Miller who takes a close look at each of the candidates’ views on trade ^[2]. Before examining some of the candidates’ evolving positions on NAFTA, Amb. Miller lays out some facts comparing the first 13 years under NAFTA with the 13 previous years:

• During NAFTA, U.S. employment went up from 112.2 million jobs to 137.2 million jobs, an increase of 25 million jobs. We haven’t really heard Ross Perot’s giant sucking sound.
• The average unemployment rate during NAFTA has been 5.1 percent, compared to 7.1 percent during the 13 years before its passage.
• Manufacturing output rose 63 percent between 1993 and 2006, compared to 37 percent between 1980 and 1993.
• Real compensation of manufacturing workers rose 1.6 percent annually during NAFTA as com­pared to 0.9 percent annually in the prior period.
• Investment rose 107 percent, compared to 45 percent in the comparable prior period.
• So by all these indicators, we have been better off during NAFTA than we were before its passage.