STAT 01
$7.0Tmanufacturing shipments
Manufacturing was the nation’s second-largest sector by value of shipments in the 2022 Economic Census.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census, released December 2024 ↗Reference page / updated October 26, 2026
U.S. manufacturing statistics: a practical reference.
Source-linked figures on the scale, workforce and day-to-day economic reality of U.S. manufacturing. Built for writers, operators and teams who need a reliable number with its context close by.
What this covers
Useful context for the work behind the work.
Manufacturing numbers are often quoted without a source date, a definition or a useful explanation. This page keeps each figure tied to the public dataset behind it. The data is national, and the measures are not interchangeable: some describe jobs, some establishments, some shipments and some projected openings.
For specialist manufacturers, the practical thread is clear. A large, skilled workforce and complex physical flows make clear instructions, evidence at the point of work and a usable record more important, not less.
The figures
Six numbers to ground the conversation.
STAT 02
12.8Mmanufacturing jobs
American manufacturers accounted for about 12.8 million jobs in May 2024.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2025 ↗STAT 03
12.3Memployees at manufacturing establishments
Census estimates show manufacturing-establishment employment rose from 11.2 million in 2021 to 12.3 million in 2022.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of Manufactures, October 2024 ↗STAT 04
$36.92average hourly earnings
Seasonally adjusted average hourly earnings for all manufacturing employees in September 2026. Average weekly earnings were $1,498.95.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2026 ↗STAT 05
~1Mproduction openings per year
BLS projects nearly one million annual openings in production occupations from 2024 through 2034, largely from replacement needs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2026 ↗STAT 06
4.9Btons shipped by manufacturers
Manufacturing establishments shipped 4.9 billion tons of commodities worth $7.1 trillion in 2022.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Commodity Flow Survey, June 2025 ↗How to read the data
Context matters more than a bigger number.
Shipments are not value added.
Shipment value describes the value of goods leaving manufacturing establishments. It is a useful measure of industrial scale, but it is not the same thing as manufacturing’s contribution to gross domestic product.
Jobs and establishment employment use different frames.
The BLS occupation figure counts jobs across manufacturing industries. Census establishment figures describe employees at manufacturing establishments. Both are useful, but they answer different questions.
Projections are not promises.
The production-opening estimate is a BLS outlook, not a forecast for any one shop. Its practical use is to frame the need for systems that help experienced people work consistently and pass good information forward.
Method and sources
Built from public primary sources.
This page uses the most recent relevant public releases available on October 26, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each statistic links directly to its source. Figures are presented as reported, with dates retained so readers can judge relevance for their own use.
We will refresh this reference roughly monthly, or sooner when a source publishes a material update. Stable statistic links are kept in place so a citation remains useful over time.
Cite this page
Subfox. “U.S. Manufacturing Statistics: A Practical Reference.” Updated October 26, 2026. https://subfox.net/manufacturing-statistics
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