This story originally appeared on Smartest Dollar.
Since its peak in 1979, manufacturing employment in the U.S. has been on the decline, accelerating sharply around the turn of the century. Despite modest gains since 2010, the number of manufacturing jobs remains far below previous levels.
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2019, just 8.5% of workers were employed in the manufacturing sector, totaling less than 13 million jobs.
The share of employment in manufacturing varies significantly across cities and states — some parts of the country depend much more on manufacturing work than others.
To find the metropolitan areas with the most manufacturing jobs, researchers at Smartest Dollar used employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The researchers ranked metro areas according to the share of workers employed in manufacturing. Researchers also looked at the percentage change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999 and the total number of manufacturing jobs in 2019 and 1999.
To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 people were included in the analysis.
Here are the large metropolitan areas with the largest share of workers employed in manufacturing.
15. Seattle
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 8.8%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -19.1% (43,700 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 184,700
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 228,400
14. Chicago
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 8.8%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -35.3% (229,100 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 419,500
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 648,600
13. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 9.0%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -29.3% (46,000 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 111,200
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 157,200
12. Buffalo, New York
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 9.3%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -37.1% (30,900 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 52,400
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 83,300
11. Minneapolis
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 9.9%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -17.0% (41,200 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 200,700
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 241,900
10. Hartford, Connecticut
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 10.4%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -21.0% (16,100 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 60,400
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 76,500
9. Rochester, New York
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 10.5%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -47.5% (51,100 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 56,500
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 107,600
8. Portland, Oregon
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 10.6%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -8.9% (12,700 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 129,300
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 142,000
7. Cincinnati
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 10.8%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -18.8% (27,900 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 120,600
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 148,500
6. Cleveland
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 11.4%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -37.2% (73,000 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 123,500
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 196,500
5. Louisville, Kentucky
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 12.3%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -12.7% (12,100 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 83,000
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 95,100
4. Detroit
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 12.6%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -30.6% (113,900 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 257,900
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 371,800
3. Milwaukee
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 13.7%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -28.4% (47,500 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 120,000
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 167,500
2. San Jose, California
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 15.1%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -26.6% (62,700 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 173,000
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 235,700
1. Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Share of employment in manufacturing: 21.0%
- Change in total manufacturing jobs since 1999: -9.0% (11,800 total jobs lost)
- Total manufacturing jobs in 2019: 119,000
- Total manufacturing jobs in 1999: 130,800
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