Manufacturing Still Among Top Five U.S. Employers

It’s no secret the manufacturing sector has a major impact on the U.S. economy. This week we recognize just how big an impact.

Held every year on the first Friday in October, Manufacturing Day showcases the contributions of this key economic sector and events marking the day happened all week across the country.

For example, some companies and educational institutions opened their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders to highlight modern manufacturing.

The U.S. Census Bureau joined other agencies by posting important manufacturing content on the Manufacturing Day webpage throughout the week.

Here, we present data on all aspects of the manufacturing industry in the United States.

From 2017 to 2018, the number of people employed in manufacturing went up 1.7%, to 11.7 million.

The value of shipments rose 9.1% to $6 trillion from 2017 to 2018.

The infographics below display the nation’s largest employers by sector and show that manufacturing continues to rank in the top five.

How does manufacturing compare to other U.S. industries in terms of employment?

According to the 2018 County Business Patterns, the manufacturing sector employed 11.9 million workers in the United States in 2018 – and the average annual employee payroll was $60,260. 

According to the Census Bureau’s Preliminary Profile of US Exporting Companies in 2017-2018, nearly six in 10 U.S. exporting dollars come from manufacturers.

The Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) provides quarterly statistics such as sales and after-tax profits. It provides data on all manufacturing industries, for both nondurable and durable goods manufacturers.

Manufacturing-related economic indicators also include M3 (Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders), which provides an even more detailed picture of the manufacturing landscape in the United States.

Adam Grundy is a supervisory statistician in the Census Bureau’s Economic Management Division.