The items pictured above all have the ‘Made in USA’ distinction in or around the barcode.

An early 2011 Diane Sawyer special report highlighted the economic benefit of purchasing products ‘Made in America.’

After airing the week-long special, ABC World News’ sparked Americans to stop spending their hard-earned money on foreign supplies.

“In 1960, foreign goods made up just eight percent of Americans purchases,” according to an abcnews.com press release in February 2011. “Today, nearly 60 percent of everything we buy is made overseas.”

Sawyer challenged a family to remove all foreign-made goods from their home and replace them with products from the U.S. In their living room, all was removed but one lamp. The experiment emphasized the lack of American-made goods and shed light on how Americans are unconsciously contributing to the current economic crisis.

Manufacturing in the U.S. is crucial to the country’s growth. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, around 12 million Americans (nine percent of the workforce) is employed directly in manufacturing. Studies suggest that over 10,000 new jobs would be created if every American spent an extra $3.33 on American-made materials.

This year, back-to-school shopping can greatly influence the economy if the focus is placed on products made in the U.S.

1) Make a shopping list: Know what you need before going into the store. It’s easy to filter in foreign products when spontaneously grabbing items because of their packaging, placing in the store, etc.

2) Go to stores that aren’t focused on bargains: It is cheaper labor to make products in other countries, therefore, the stores that sell items for less will be more likely to carry those foreign products. It will take longer to locate American products in stores like Walmart, Dollar Tree and K-Mart, among other big-name bargain businesses. Also, if the price of American-made products seems to steep for students on a budget, there is hope. Websites such as www.coupons.com have printable coupons and coupon codes that are updated on a daily basis.

3) Carefully examine items before putting them into the shopping cart: Make careful note of the ‘Made in USA’ distinction. This can usually be found around the barcode. If you are looking for scissors but can only find one that’s foreign-made, allow time to check other stores and look in different departments.

There are several websites available that list American-made companies and products to make shopping easier. Simply type ‘Made in America’ into your search engine of choice and multiple sites will make your online shopping much easier. The website www.madeinusa.org is a great resource for most things American-made. It features products ranging from books and electronics to clothing and music and much more.

Another useful tool is the ‘Made in America Map’ that can be found at www.abcnews.go.com/WN/MadeInAmerica/. It is a color coded, coast-to-coast list of products currently being made in the United States.

Whether shopping for school supplies, dorm decor or the new style accessory, be sure to carefully examine the tag on the product. The American economy will prosper from such a simple responsibility.

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