WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commerce Department’s Economics and Statistics Administration today released a new report that assesses the importance of manufacturing to local economies throughout the United States. The manufacturing sector added roughly 500,000 new jobs from the beginning of 2010 through the end of 2012, and contributed more than 25 percent of the overall growth in gross output between 2009 and 2011. 

Today’s report finds that nearly all states include some counties where manufacturing accounts for a significant share of jobs and earnings.  “The Geographic Concentration of Manufacturing Across the United States” uses smaller geographic areas to find where manufacturing matters most to a local economy.  It finds that such counties are concentrated in the Midwest and the South, are more likely to be outside metropolitan areas, and are relatively small.   

“The report we are releasing today is an important lens to better view the geography underlying manufacturing in America,” said Acting Secretary Rebecca Blank. “Not only is it a key economic sector, but manufacturing jobs often carry higher wages and provide better benefits than non-manufacturing jobs,” said Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank

 Key findings of the report: 

• In 2010, there were 629 counties, or roughly 20 percent of all U.S. counties, where earnings paid to manufacturing employees accounted for at least 20 percent of total earnings of all employees.
• Indiana and Ohio had the most counties where manufacturing accounted for at least 20 percent of total earnings (50 and 48 counties, respectively), followed by Tennessee (42 counties), Wisconsin (40 counties), Georgia (36 counties), Iowa (36 counties) and Kentucky (31 counties).
• These counties are more likely to be located outside of metropolitan areas; about 68 percent of counties with at least 20 percent of total earnings derived from manufacturing were located in rural or micropolitan areas.
• There were 181 counties spread over 27 states where manufacturing jobs made up at least 20 percent of total employment.  Indiana and Ohio had the largest number of such counties, at 26 and 16, respectively.  Again, these counties are more likely to be located outside of metropolitan areas as roughly 80 percent are located in rural or micropolitan areas.



The complete report can be found at http://www.esa.doc.gov/Reports/geographic-concentration-manufacturing-across-united-states

###