CHIPS COMMUNITIES UNITED
Why We’re Concerned
The US Semiconductor Industry:
Let’s make sure it benefits all of us
Thanks to the federal CHIPS and Science Act, which became law in August 2022, semiconductor production is booming in the United States. The US government spent over $100 billion to encourage domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and states have contributed billions more.
Since 2020, chip-makers have invested over $600 billion in the US, launching more than 140 new projects in 28 states. As artificial intelligence boosts demand for chips, US semiconductor production is set to triple in the next decade, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in research, construction, and manufacturing.
But the semiconductor industry has a poor track record as a neighbor and an employer. Since its birth in Silicon Valley in the 1960s and a global expansion that continues to the present day, the industry has often succeeded at the expense of communities and workers.
Employees and neighbors of chip factories have suffered:
Will it be different this time around?
Without the active participation of local communities, the return of the semiconductor industry could deepen inequality, damage the environment, and leave behind the people who need uplift the most.
To learn more, please read our open letter to the semiconductor industry.
