Manufacturing: NAICS 31-33

On this page

• About the Manufacturing sector
• BLS Data
• Workforce Statistics
• Earnings and Hours
• Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses
• Prices
• Workplace Trends
• Other BLS Resources

The manufacturing sector is part of the goods-producing industries supersector group.

The manufacturing sector consists of these subsectors:

• Food Manufacturing: NAICS 311
• Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing: NAICS 312
• Textile Mills: NAICS 313
• Textile Product Mills: NAICS 314
• Apparel Manufacturing: NAICS 315
• Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing: NAICS 316
• Wood Product Manufacturing: NAICS 321
• Paper Manufacturing: NAICS 322
• Printing and Related Support Activities: NAICS 323
• Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing: NAICS 324
• Chemical Manufacturing: NAICS 325
• Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing: NAICS 326
• Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing: NAICS 327
• Primary Metal Manufacturing: NAICS 331
• Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing: NAICS 332
• Machinery Manufacturing: NAICS 333
• Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing: NAICS 334
• Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing: NAICS 335
• Transportation Equipment Manufacturing: NAICS 336
• Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing: NAICS 337
• Miscellaneous Manufacturing: NAICS 339

NOTE: There was a change in the definition of this subsector between NAICS 2002 and NAICS 2007. Some of the data below reflect the 2002 definition and some reflect the 2007 definition. See the BLS implementation schedule for NAICS 2007 to find out which BLS programs have already implemented NAICS 2007.

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in manufacturing. While most data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys, information on industry unemployment comes from a national survey of households. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, the unemployment rate of those previously employed in the industry, job openings and labor turnover, union membership and representation, gross job gains and losses, mass layoffs, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment, Unemployment, Layoffs, and Openings, Hires, and Separations

Data series	Back data	Mar. 2008	Apr. 2008	May 2008	Jun. 2008
Employment (in thousands)
Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)		13,644	13,592	(P) 13,570	(P) 13,537
Employment, production workers (seasonally adjusted)		9,847	9,799	(P) 9,786	(P) 9,761
Unemployment
Unemployment rate		5.0%	4.8%	5.3%	5.2%
Layoffs
Mass layoff events		333	394	388
Initial claimants for unemployment benefits		43,740	48,188	51,698
Job openings, hires, and separations (in thousands)
Job openings		253	(P) 253
Hires		308	(P) 301
Separations		301	(P) 380
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey, Mass Layoff Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	2004	2005	2006	2007
Union membership and representation
Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		12.9%	13.0%	11.7%	11.3%
Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		13.9%	13.7%	12.5%	12.0%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Dynamic Changes in Employment

Data series	Back data	4th quarter 2006	1st quarter 2007	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007
Dynamic changes in employment (in thousands)
Gross job gains		524	500	522	467
Gross job losses		608	579	567	564

(Source: Business Employment Dynamics)

Extended Mass Layoffs

Data series	Back data	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007	4th quarter 2007	1st quarter 2008
Extended mass layoff events		286	269	(P) 442	(P) 343
Separations		48,619	43,336	(P) 80,539	(P) 74,453
Initial claimants		(R) 55,393	54,116	(P) 117,512	(P) 68,254
Footnotes (R) Revised (P) Preliminary

(Source: Mass Layoff Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for manufacturing.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours for production or nonsupervisory employees, as well as weekly earnings by union membership status, are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in manufacturing. This section also contains information on the average cost of benefits paid by employers, as well as recent rates of change in wages and total compensation.

Earnings and Hours of Production Workers

Data series	Back data	Mar. 2008	Apr. 2008	May 2008	Jun. 2008
Average hourly earnings		$17.61	$17.62	(P) $17.66	(P) $17.73
Average weekly hours		41.2	41.0	(P) 40.9	(P) 40.8
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	Median weekly earnings
		2004	2005	2006	2007
Union membership and representation
Full-time workers		$662	$676	$702	$719
Members of unions		$694	$722	$755	$783
Represented by unions		$692	$719	$753	$779
Nonunion		$654	$667	$692	$708

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Earnings by Occupation

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Employer Compensation Costs

Data series	Back data	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007	4th quarter 2007	1st quarter 2008
12-month percent change
Total compensation		1.9%	1.8%	2.0%	2.6%
Wages and salaries		2.2%	2.6%	2.5%	2.5%

(Source: Compensation Cost Trends)

Data series	Back data	1st quarter 2008
		Compensation component ($ per hour worked)	Percent of total compensation
Compensation costs
Total compensation		31.42	100.0
Wages and salaries		20.66	65.7
Total benefits		10.76	34.3
Insurance		3.13	10.0
Retirement		1.32	4.2

(Source: Compensation Cost Trends)

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in manufacturing. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

This section provides industry-specific pricing information. The producer price index measures the percentage change in prices that domestic producers receive for goods and services. The prices included in the producer price index are from the first commercial transaction. The import price index reflects the percentage change in prices paid to foreign producers for their goods and services within the U.S., while the export price index measures the percentage change in prices received by U.S. producers for goods and services sold outside the U.S.

Data series	Back data	Feb. 2008	Mar. 2008	Apr. 2008	May 2008
Producer price index		(P) 169.4	(P) 173.4	(P) 175.1	(P) 179.3
Percent change from previous month		(P) 0.5%	(P) 2.4%	(P) 1.0%	(P) 2.4%
Import index		109.4	(R) 111.2	(R) 112.7	113.9
Percent change from previous month		0.1%	(R) 1.6%	(R) 1.3%	(R) 1.1%
Export index		109.3	(R) 110.5	(R) 111.4	112.0
Percent change from previous month		0.5%	(R) 1.1%	(R) 0.8%	(R) 0.5%
Footnotes (R) Revised (P) Preliminary

(Source: Producer Price Indexes, International Price Program)

This section presents data on the number of establishments and the number of establishments experiencing job gains or job losses in manufacturing. Also included in this section is information on productivity and costs, presented as indexes and changes in output per hour and unit labor costs.

Establishments

Data series	Back data	4th quarter 2006	1st quarter 2007	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007
Number of establishments
Private industry		363,184	(P) 361,145	(P) 361,425	(P) 361,360
Local government		43	(P) 43	(P) 42	(P) 41
State government		25	(P) 24	(P) 24	(P) 24
Federal government		36	(P) 36	(P) 36	(P) 36
Establishments with changes in employment (in thousands)
With job gains (seasonally adjusted)		103	102	102	100
With job losses (seasonally adjusted)		108	108	108	109
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Business Employment Dynamics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Productivity

Data series	Back data	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007	4th quarter 2007	1st quarter 2008
Output per hour index (seasonally adjusted)		178.658	180.636	182.510	184.134
Percent change from previous quarter		3.8	4.5	4.2	3.6
Hours index (seasonally adjusted)		83.728	83.692	82.751	81.767
Percent change from previous quarter		1.0	-0.2	-4.4	-4.7
Output index (seasonally adjusted)		149.588	151.178	151.028	150.561
Percent change from previous quarter		4.9	4.3	-0.4	-1.2
Unit labor costs (seasonally adjusted)		101.633	100.697	101.464	102.504
Percent change from previous quarter		-4.1	-3.6	3.1	4.2

(Source: Productivity and Costs)

The Editor's Desk

See manufacturing and industry studies in the subject matter index of The Editor's Desk (Current Edition).

Monthly Labor Review

See manufacturing in the Index of the Monthly Labor Review Online (Current Issue).

Career Guide to Industries

To learn about careers from an industry perspective, see the Career Guide to Industries.