Policy and Legal

NAM: Rep. Moran, H.R. 1 created a new deduction for qualified overtime compensation, available through 2028. Manufacturing is one of the sectors where overtime is most prevalent—production demands, shift scheduling and seasonal surges mean manufacturing workers regularly put in hours well beyond 40 per week. What does this deduction mean specifically for manufacturing workers, and how does it change the take-home pay calculus for the workers who power American factories?  

Rep. Moran: “Manufacturing workers are some of the hardest-working people in this country, and they’ve long understood that overtime isn’t a bonus—it’s how they keep the line running, meet a contract deadline or respond to a surge in demand. For too long, every extra hour they put in was taxed at the same rate as everything else. The Working Families Tax Cuts created a historic change in this policy.  

Here’s what it means in practical terms. Under this legislation, manufacturing workers can now deduct the premium portion of their overtime pay—the ‘half’ in time-and-a-half—from their federal taxable income. So, if a worker earns $24 an hour and works 10 hours of overtime a week, that’s $12 per hour in deductible premium. Over 50 weeks, that’s $6,000 removed from their taxable income. For a worker in the 22% bracket, that translates to roughly $1,300 in federal tax savings for the year—more than $100 extra in their pocket every single month. 

For workers who carry the overtime burden regularly—and in manufacturing, many do—this is real and immediate. Now, Americans across the country have more money in their pockets. This is real relief for the manufacturing industry.”  

NAM: Manufacturing has faced persistent workforce challenges—attracting workers to skilled trades, competing with other sectors for talent and retaining experienced employees. The overtime deduction will change the compensation calculus for manufacturing employers trying to attract and retain workers. How are manufacturers and manufacturing workers in your district responding to the policy? 

Rep. Moran: “The workforce challenge in manufacturing is real. We’ve had a skills, retention and compensation gap that has greatly impacted the industry. This deduction helps bridge that gap for manufacturers. 

Now, a manufacturer doesn’t have to raise the hourly overtime rate to make overtime more attractive—Congress has effectively increased the after-tax value of every overtime hour already being paid. For a plant manager trying to fill a second shift or retain a skilled operator who’s being recruited by a competitor, that’s a meaningful talking point. They can sit across the table from a prospective employee and say: the federal government has reduced the tax burden on your overtime pay. You will take home more of what you earn here. 

In East Texas, I’ve heard from manufacturers who are already incorporating this into their recruiting conversations. Employers are seeing a renewed interest in overtime-heavy roles that used to be harder to fill. Workers who previously tried to limit their overtime hours to manage their tax exposure are now more willing to pick up additional shifts. That’s good for the employee and the employer.”   

NAM: Manufacturing workers are the backbone of this country’s industrial base, and provisions like the overtime deduction are a tangible demonstration that Congress values their work. What can NAM members do to help communicate this benefit to workers on the floor and support its permanence?  

Rep. Moran: “Most importantly, tell your workers about these provisions. Put it on the bulletin board, mention it at the shift meeting, work it into your onboarding conversations. A lot of workers won’t learn about this deduction until they sit down to file their taxes—and by then, they’ve already missed months of planning around it. The sooner they understand what they’re entitled to, the better decisions they can make about their hours, their withholding and their financial lives.  

And make sure to document the impact. When the time comes to debate whether to extend this provision beyond 2028, the strongest argument Congress can make is a real one. If your employees are benefiting, capture that story. Share it with your association, share it with your team, share it with my office. That kind of evidence is what moves legislation. The hardworking manufacturing industry shouldn’t have to wonder every few years whether Congress still values their labor. The message that this provision should be made permanent is one that needs to come from employers who can speak to what it has meant for their paychecks, their finances and their families.”