Last Updated: February 10, 2026

95+ US Manufacturing Statistics for 2025-2026

The US manufacturing sector produces nearly $3 trillion in annual value-added output and employs 12.7 million workers. But behind those top-line numbers, the industry is shifting fast. Automation is accelerating, the skills gap is widening, and manufacturing construction has tripled since 2021.

We compiled over 95 data points from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Federal Reserve System, NAM, Deloitte, ISM, the Census Bureau, and other authoritative sources. Manufacturing in the U.S. has seen its gross domestic product contribution shift over time, especially given geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions. Every statistic links to its original source so you can verify the data and cite it in your own work.

$2.95T

Manufacturing value-added output (Q3 2025 annual rate)

12.69M

Manufacturing workers (December 2025)

9.5%

Manufacturing share of US GDP (Q3 2025)

What's in This Report

GDP & Economic Output

United States manufacturing punches above its weight in the U.S. economy. The sector accounts for under 10% of GDP by value added, but its multiplier effect ripples through every other industry. For every dollar spent in manufacturing, $2.64 flows into the broader economy. No other sector comes close to that kind of economic amplification. Looking at the third quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2025, the trend shows steady growth in nominal output.

1. Manufacturing value-added output reached $2.951 trillion (annual rate) in Q3 2025, up from $2.860 trillion in Q2 2025. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

2. Manufacturing accounted for 9.5% of total US GDP by value added in Q3 2025. — NAM / Bureau of Economic Analysis

3. Real value-added manufacturing output was $2.435 trillion in Q3 2025 (chained 2017 dollars), up from $2.405 trillion in Q2. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

4. For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, there is a total impact of $2.64 on the overall US economy, including indirect and induced impacts. — NAM (2023 IMPLAN data)

5. Every one manufacturing worker adds 4.8 workers to the overall US economy when you factor in indirect and induced employment. — NAM (2023 IMPLAN data)

6. For every $1.00 earned in direct manufacturing labor income, $3.92 in labor income is earned across the overall US economy. — NAM (2023 IMPLAN data)

7. Taken alone, US manufacturing would be the 8th-largest economy in the world, with $2.91 trillion in value added in 2024. Only the US overall, China, Germany, Japan, India, the UK, and France had larger GDP. — Bureau of Economic Analysis / IMF

8. Durable goods manufacturing value-added output rose to $1.576 trillion in Q3 2025, up from $1.534 trillion in Q2 2025. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

9. Nondurable goods manufacturing value-added output reached $1.375 trillion in Q3 2025, up from $1.325 trillion in Q2. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

Employment & Workforce

Manufacturing employment has been slowly declining, and it's now back near pre-pandemic levels. Employment in the sector lost 8,000 jobs in December 2025 alone. Total output increased through much of the year even as headcount dipped, pointing to productivity gains. The workforce story is more complicated than the headline numbers suggest. The jobs that remain pay well, and the industry is struggling to fill highly technical positions even as overall headcount drifts lower.

10. Total US manufacturing employment (NAICS 31-33) was 12,692,000 in December 2025, down 8,000 from November. — Bureau of Labor Statistics

11. The pre-pandemic average (2017-2019) was 12,613,000 manufacturing employees. December 2025 employment is essentially at that baseline. — Bureau of Labor Statistics

12. There were 403,000 manufacturing job openings in November 2025, down from the 2021-2023 average of 756,000. — Bureau of Labor Statistics (JOLTS)

13. The pre-pandemic average for manufacturing job openings was 432,000 (2017-2019), meaning current openings are below that historical norm. — Bureau of Labor Statistics (JOLTS)

14. The national unemployment rate stood at 4.4% in December 2025, down from 4.5% in November. — Bureau of Labor Statistics

15. The labor force participation rate was 62.4% in December 2025, edging down from 62.5% in November. — Bureau of Labor Statistics

16. There are 239,265 manufacturing firms in the US (2022 data). All but 4,177 are considered small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. — US Census Bureau, Statistics of US Businesses

17. About 75% of US manufacturing firms have fewer than 20 employees, and 93.1% have fewer than 100 employees. — US Census Bureau

18. Despite most firms being small, 59.1% of manufacturing workers are employed by firms with 500 or more employees. — US Census Bureau

19. US affiliates of foreign multinational firms employed over 3 million manufacturing workers in 2023, roughly 24% of total sector employment. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

20. The average manufacturing workweek was 39.9 hours in December 2025, with overtime averaging 2.9 hours. — Bureau of Labor Statistics

Wages & Compensation

Manufacturing jobs pay better than the private sector average. The total compensation package, including benefits, topped $106,000 in 2024. And wage growth has been strong: production worker hourly earnings rose 4.2% year-over-year in December. Benefits are another major draw. Manufacturing leads all sectors in the percentage of workers eligible for employer health insurance.

21. Manufacturing workers earned an average of $106,691 in total compensation (pay plus benefits) in 2024. Private nonfarm workers averaged $90,601. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

22. Average hourly earnings for all manufacturing employees were $36.07 in December 2025, with 4.4% year-over-year growth. — Bureau of Labor Statistics

23. Production and nonsupervisory manufacturing workers earned $29.51 per hour in December 2025, a 4.2% increase over the prior year. — Bureau of Labor Statistics

24. 95% of manufacturing employees were eligible for employer-provided health insurance in 2025, the highest percentage of any sector. The all-industry average is 80%. — Kaiser Family Foundation, 2025

25. Of those eligible, 80% participate in their employer's health plan (take-up rate). — Kaiser Family Foundation, 2025

26. The average annual cost of a family health care plan in manufacturing was $25,428, below the all-industry average of $26,993 in 2025. — Kaiser Family Foundation, 2025

27. About 33% of total manufacturing compensation is attributable to benefits (non-wage compensation). — AMTEC / NAM, 2025

28. Foreign multinational manufacturing affiliates in the US paid $309.36 billion in total compensation in 2023. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

Skills Gap & Workforce Challenges

The skills gap is the single biggest operational headache for most manufacturers. Deloitte projects nearly 2 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by the early 2030s if the industry can't figure out how to attract and train enough people. Almost half of manufacturing executives say talent acquisition is their top business challenge. The workforce is aging, retirement waves are accelerating, and younger workers aren't entering the trades at replacement rates.

29. By 2033, 3.8 million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed, and 1.9 million are expected to remain unfilled if the industry can't close the skills gap. — Deloitte / The Manufacturing Institute, 2025

30. Of those 3.8 million needed jobs, 2.8 million will come from retirements and 760,000 from industry growth. Another 230,000 are expected from legislative actions like the CHIPS Act and IRA. — Deloitte / The Manufacturing Institute

31. 48%+ of manufacturing executives cite attracting and retaining talent as their primary business challenge (Q2 2025 NAM Manufacturers' Outlook Survey). — NAM, 2025

32. Approximately 4.2% of manufacturing roles go unfilled at any given time (Q3 2025 data). — AMTEC / NAM Q3 2025 Survey

33. In August 2025, there were approximately 409,000 unfilled manufacturing positions. — Deloitte, January 2026

34. 2.1 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2030 if talent challenges are not addressed, according to an earlier Deloitte estimate. — Deloitte / The Manufacturing Institute, March 2025

35. The digital talent shortage, skilled production roles, and operational manager positions are the three categories with the highest difficulty in filling. — Deloitte Skills Gap Study

Trade & Exports

US manufacturers exported over $1.6 trillion worth of goods in 2024, hitting a new record for durable goods. Exports have more than doubled since 2002. But the trade picture isn't all rosy. The US goods trade deficit widened to $1.2 trillion in 2024, and global competition, particularly from China, continues to pressure domestic producers.

36. US-manufactured goods exports totaled $1,647.4 billion in 2024, a new record. Durable goods exports hit an all-time high of $1,047.9 billion. — US Census Bureau

37. Nondurable goods exports rose to $599.47 billion in 2024, up from $590.01 billion in 2023. — US Census Bureau

38. Manufactured goods exports have more than doubled over the past two decades: from $622.31 billion in 2002 to $1,638.11 billion in 2024. — US Census Bureau

39. The overall US goods and services trade deficit was $918.4 billion in 2024, with the goods deficit alone reaching $1,211.7 billion. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

40. Total US exports of goods and services were $3,191.6 billion in 2024, up $119.8 billion from 2023. Total imports were $4,110.0 billion. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

41. Through January-November 2025, total US goods exports reached $2.19 trillion and total goods imports reached $4.35 trillion. — Joint Economic Committee / Census Bureau

42. Global trade in manufactured goods reached $15.8 trillion in 2024, up from $15.5 trillion in 2023 and $4.7 trillion in 2000. — World Trade Organization

43. The US share of world trade in manufactured goods was 7.9% in 2024. — World Trade Organization

Top Manufacturing States

California and Texas dominate in absolute output and employment, but the picture looks different when you adjust for state size. Indiana, for example, has one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing per capita in the country. The traditional industrial Midwest still holds considerable weight, but Southern states are gaining ground fast thanks to new plant construction and lower operating costs.

Rank State Value of Shipments Mfg Employment
1 Texas $808.0B 970,600
2 California $656.1B 1,220,000
3 Ohio $374.0B 687,500
4 Indiana $333.7B 542,000
5 Illinois $319.6B 576,000
6 Michigan — 597,600
7 Pennsylvania — 556,000

Sources: US Census Bureau (value of shipments); Visual Capitalist / BLS (employment)

44. California leads in total manufacturing employment at 1.22 million jobs, followed by Texas (970,600), Ohio (687,500), and Michigan (597,600). — Visual Capitalist / BLS, June 2025

45. Texas ranks first in total value of manufacturing shipments at $808.0 billion, followed by California ($656.1B), Ohio ($374.0B), Indiana ($333.7B), and Illinois ($319.6B). — US Census Bureau, September 2025

46. California has the largest manufacturing GDP at $411.8 billion, with 36,000 manufacturing establishments. — Yijin Solution / BEA data

Manufacturing Subsectors

Chemical products is the largest US manufacturing subsector by value added, followed by food and beverage products, then computer and electronic products. Pharmaceuticals alone account for over a third of all manufacturing R&D spending. The number of manufacturing subsectors that contribute meaningfully to GDP is actually a competitive strength. Unlike countries concentrated in one or two sectors, American manufacturing spans everything from advanced semiconductors to food processing to heavy equipment. Industrial utility costs and raw material access also vary widely across subsectors.

47. The largest manufacturing subsector by value added is chemical products, followed by food, beverage, and tobacco products, and then computer and electronic products. — NIST AMS 600-16

48. Manufacturers perform 51.8% of all private-sector R&D in the US. Total manufacturing R&D reached a record $412.8 billion in 2024. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

49. Pharmaceuticals accounted for 36.4% of all manufacturing R&D, spending $150.3 billion in 2024. Semiconductors contributed 14.1%, other computer and electronics 13.7%, and motor vehicles and parts 8.4%. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

50. Top foreign multinational employment in US manufacturing by subsector: transportation equipment (656,800), including 563,400 in motor vehicles; chemicals (430,600); food (360,800); machinery (259,700); and pharmaceuticals (231,700). — Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 data

51. Foreign multinational affiliates spent $61.3 billion on R&D in their US manufacturing operations in 2023. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

Construction & Investment

Manufacturing construction spending has been on a tear since 2021, driven by the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and a broader reshoring push. Private construction spending on manufacturing tripled from $76.2 billion in January 2021 to nearly $230 billion in January 2025. Foreign direct investment hit record levels too, with over $2.4 trillion flowing into US manufacturing in 2024. This is real money, going into real facilities, creating real capacity. Even though the pace has slowed from 2023's peak, it's still far above pre-pandemic levels.

52. Private manufacturing construction spending tripled from $76.2 billion (January 2021) to nearly $230 billion (January 2025). — Global X ETFs / Census Bureau

53. Manufacturing construction spending peaked at a record $238.4 billion in June 2024 before easing slightly in early 2025. — FRED / Census Bureau

54. Private manufacturing construction was $213.1 billion in October 2025, down 9.7% year-over-year but still far above pre-pandemic averages. — US Census Bureau

55. Cumulative investment in US manufacturing facilities exceeded $300 billion through Q1 2025 (since 2021). — DelMorgan & Co. / Goldman Sachs

56. Manufacturing construction spending accounted for nearly 14% of all private construction spending in the US as of July 2025. — Global X ETFs

57. Foreign direct investment in US manufacturing reached a record $2,416.08 billion in 2024, up from $756.87 billion in 2010. Manufacturing accounted for 42.33% of all FDI. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

58. The CHIPS and Science Act allocated $30 billion toward 23 projects across 15 states by August 2024, creating a pipeline for 115,000 construction and manufacturing jobs. — WITA / US Commerce Department

59. Nearly 2 million reshoring and FDI jobs have been announced since 2010. In 2023 alone, 287,000 jobs were announced from reshoring and foreign direct investment. — Reshoring Initiative / AllAmerican.org

Automation & Technology

Robots aren't replacing manufacturing workers wholesale, but they are reshaping what manufacturing work looks like. Global robot installations topped 500,000 units for the fourth straight year in 2024. Collaborative robots (cobots) are growing fast, particularly in life sciences and food processing. The push toward automation is being driven as much by the labor shortage as by efficiency gains. When you can't find people to fill the jobs, robots become a necessity, not a luxury.

60. Global industrial robot installations reached 542,000 units in 2024, more than double the number from 10 years ago. Annual installations have topped 500,000 for four consecutive years. — International Federation of Robotics, World Robotics 2025

61. Collaborative robots (cobots) made up 11.6% of all industrial robots ordered in North America in Q1 2025, and over 20% in industries like life sciences and food processing. — Thunderbit / Industry data

62. 83% of senior manufacturing leaders have either implemented or are planning to adopt automation in palletization and packaging, the most mature automation use case. — StudioRed / IFR data

63. 51.3% of companies plan to adopt robots and non-humanoid automation technology before 2027. — AIPRM / World Economic Forum

64. The global industrial robotics market is projected to surpass $17 billion in 2025 and reach $19.6 billion by 2030 (2% CAGR). — ABI Research, August 2025

65. The broader global robotics market (including service and logistics robots) is expected to reach $50.38 billion by 2025. — Statista

66. The industrial robotics market is expected to grow by $47.63 billion from 2024 to 2029, driven by AI integration. — Technavio

Global Comparison

China dominates global manufacturing output with nearly 28% of the world total, producing more than the US, Japan, and Germany combined. The US holds second place at 17.3% of global output. That gap has widened significantly over the past two decades. But raw output doesn't tell the whole story. US manufacturing is concentrated in higher-value, higher-margin sectors like pharmaceuticals, aerospace, and semiconductors, where the per-unit value far exceeds what you'd find in commodity manufacturing.

Rank Country Manufacturing Output (2024) Global Share
1 China $4.66 trillion 27.7%
2 United States $2.91 trillion 17.3%
3 Japan ~$1.0 trillion ~6%
4 Germany ~$780 billion ~4.6%
5 India ~$460 billion ~2.7%

Source: Safeguard Global, 2025

67. China leads global manufacturing with $4.66 trillion in output (27.7%) of global share. The US is second at $2.91 trillion (17.3%). — Safeguard Global, 2025

68. China's manufacturing output is more than 1.6x the US and accounts for roughly three times the US share in gross production terms. — CEPR

69. Global trade in manufactured goods reached $15.8 trillion in 2024, up from $4.7 trillion in 2000. — World Trade Organization

Industry Health Indicators

After 26 consecutive months of contraction, the ISM Manufacturing PMI (also called the manufacturing index) finally crossed back into expansion territory in January 2026 at 52.6. That's a huge signal. The Federal Reserve Bank's data tells a similar story: industrial production ticked up 0.4% in December 2025, and manufacturing output rose 0.2 percent that same month. Capacity utilization at 76.3% is still below the long-run average, which means there's room to grow without building new capacity. The question is whether the January PMI bounce represents a real turning point or just a temporary spike, especially given the tariff uncertainty that hangs over the sector. New orders spiked alongside the headline index, and the fourth quarter of 2024 through the fourth quarter of 2025 showed the longest contraction streak in modern ISM history. December 2025 industrial production was 0.7 percent above its year-earlier level.

70. The ISM Manufacturing PMI registered 52.6 in January 2026, a 4.7-percentage-point jump from December's 47.9. This was the highest reading since August 2022 and ended 26 consecutive months of contraction. — ISM, February 2026

71. Manufacturing activity was in contraction for 26 consecutive months before January 2026's expansion. — Steel Market Update, February 2026

72. Industrial production increased 0.4% in December 2025 and grew at an annual rate of 0.7 percent in Q4 2025. Manufacturing construction spending had already begun declining from its October 2024 peak. — Federal Reserve G.17 Release

73. Manufacturing output rose 0.2% in December 2025, following a revised 0.3% increase in November. — Moody's Analytics / Federal Reserve

74. Total capacity utilization was 76.3% in December 2025. — Moody's Analytics / Federal Reserve

75. Labor productivity in US manufacturing increased 4.4% in Q1 2025, with output up 4.8% and hours worked up just 0.4%. — Bureau of Labor Statistics

76. Nonfinancial corporate sector labor productivity increased 3.3% in Q3 2025. — Bureau of Labor Statistics

Regulatory & Operating Costs

Regulation hits manufacturers harder than almost any other sector. The average manufacturer spends $29,100 per employee on federal regulatory compliance, nearly double the all-sector average. Small manufacturers with fewer than 50 employees bear even higher costs per head: $50,100 each. And then there's energy. Industrial users consume a third of all energy in the US. These costs are baked into every part, every component, and every finished good that comes off a production line.

77. Manufacturers pay $29,100 per employee on average to comply with federal regulations, nearly double the $12,800 per-employee cost across all firms. — NAM, Cost of Federal Regulation, October 2023

78. Small manufacturers (fewer than 50 employees) face the highest regulatory costs of any US firms: $50,100 per employee per year. — NAM, October 2023

79. The total cost of federal regulatory compliance across all US firms was $3.079 trillion in 2022 (2023 dollars). — NAM, October 2023

80. Industrial users consumed 31.19 quadrillion Btu of energy in 2024, or 33.3% of the national total. — US Energy Information Administration, AEO 2025

81. The EIA projects industrial energy consumption to reach 31.36 quadrillion Btu by 2030, a 0.56% increase from 2024 levels. — US Energy Information Administration, AEO 2025

Additional Manufacturing Data Points

A few more data points that round out the picture. Manufacturing's economic multiplier effects, productivity trends, and the sheer scale of the sector's contribution to the US economy make it impossible to ignore, even as the popular narrative fixates on headline job numbers.

82. Nondurable goods exports have grown 3.5x since 2002: from $171.26 billion to $598.60 billion in 2024. Durable goods exports grew 2.3x over the same period. — US Census Bureau

83. Manufacturing R&D has risen from $132.5 billion in 2000 to $412.8 billion in 2024, more than tripling. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

84. FDI in US manufacturing jumped from $756.87 billion in 2010 to $2,416.08 billion in 2024, a 219% increase. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

85. The manufacturing sector accounted for 42.33% of all $5.7 trillion in total foreign direct investment in the US in 2024. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

86. The ISM Manufacturing PMI's January 2026 reading of 52.6 was 4.1 points above the forecasted 48.5, a major upside surprise. — Trading Economics

87. Between January 2020 and March 2025, overall manufacturing employment still showed the effects of pandemic-era disruption, with certain subsectors gaining and others continuing to shed workers. — BLS Strategies

88. Durable goods job openings were 274,000 in November 2025, while nondurable goods openings fell to 129,000. — Bureau of Labor Statistics (JOLTS)

89. Chemical and transportation manufacturing construction spending was up 4% and 21% respectively from 2022 to 2023. — Atlantic Council, July 2025

90. In 2023, 287,000 jobs were announced from reshoring and FDI combined, building on a trend of record reshoring activity in 2022 and 2023. — Reshoring Initiative / AllAmerican.org

91. US imports of goods and services grew 6.6% to a record $4.1 trillion in 2024. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

92. Private goods-producing industries saw real value added increase 3.6% in Q3 2025, while services-producing industries rose 5.3%. — Bureau of Economic Analysis

93. AI-based workforce management is projected to be a core manufacturing capability by 2030, enabling companies to match worker skills to production needs in real time. — Deloitte 2025 Manufacturing Industry Outlook

94. An estimated 230,000 manufacturing jobs are expected to be created from recent legislative and regulatory actions including the CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act. — Deloitte / The Manufacturing Institute

95. Manufacturing's share of total US GDP was less than finance/insurance/real estate, government, and professional/business services in Q1 2025. — Wikipedia / Bureau of Economic Analysis

96. The US goods trade deficit reached $1.27 trillion through January-November 2025, partially offset by a services surplus of $335.80 billion. — Joint Economic Committee / Census Bureau

The Bottom Line

US manufacturing is a $2.95 trillion sector that employs 12.7 million people, funds over half of all private R&D, and generates a $2.64 economic multiplier for every dollar spent. The industry just broke out of a 26-month PMI contraction in January 2026, construction investment has tripled since 2021, and foreign direct investment hit record highs. But the skills gap threatens to leave nearly 2 million jobs unfilled by 2033, and competition from China, which produces $4.66 trillion in manufacturing output, keeps intensifying.

For manufacturers and industrial marketers, these numbers represent both the challenge and the opportunity. The companies that figure out how to attract talent, adopt automation, and market themselves effectively to industrial buyers will be the ones that capture the next wave of growth.

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Manufacturing Lead Generation. "95+ US Manufacturing Statistics (2025-2026)." manufacturingleadgeneration.com, February 10, 2026. https://manufacturingleadgeneration.com/us-manufacturing-statistics/

Sources

This report draws from the following authoritative data sources. All statistics link to their original source within the text above.