Here is what I can tell you from living in the Coal Region of PA. Its better to have a job then to not have a job. NAFTA left a lot of people unemployed in my area. So many people, including my father, worked in jobs that NAFTA killed. The Coal Region had to rebuild for a new economy twice. Once when coal use declined and oil became the prominent source of heating fuel and again after NAFTA. It wasn't just big businesses that suffered. It was the Mom & Pop shops that closed as well. 25,000 jobs is not the actual total. Its closer to 50,000 when you look at all the people that would have been employed by all the businesses around the factory or hub. They were going to need electricians and plumbers and skilled tradesmen and women to keep a hub running. All the small businesses in the area lost out on having more customers. Its a huge loss for the Queens area but as @roadwarrior said, its Tennessee's gain.
Just wanted to add this. Who cares what the jobs payed? They are jobs. Even if teenagers work them, they still provide income. That's what an economy is all about. Some low paying jobs, some high paying jobs and some middle income jobs. Think about that during your next dining experience at McDonalds or Burger King.
