Comment by AngryData

Manufacturing jobs produce locallly useful materials, pay for locally useful machines and equipment, and atleast in the first 2/3rs of industrializarion locally useful skills.

This stuff does bring them money which is nice, but a person having access to and learning to use a welder or lathe or loom or repair or fabricate such thhings has value far beyond merely their wage.

Tools and the skills to use them is the most important thing in building a modern society. Countries don't really ever transition from agrarian straight to a modern service economy.