An area of the United States stretching from the Great Lakes to New
England that has seen numerous plant closings and job losses in heavy manufacturing over the past several decades. It includes the states of Michigan, far
NW Indiana, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York and perhaps parts of New
England. The demise of the steel and auto industries has caused the biggest headaches for the area. The steel industry has been faced with tough competition from overseas markets. The situation is similar for the auto industry, except labor unions and foreign competition in auto sales have been the reason for the job losses at the "Big 3," as plants close or layoff numerous workers for cheaper labor in Mexico. The state of Michigan, especially the Detroit area has seen the most job losses in the country, thanks to the challenges of the auto industry. Much of Ohio, Western
Pennsylvania and Western New York State have been hit especially hard. Detroit and Pittsburgh are the epitomes of the Rust Belt.
