Figure 4. Employment in manufacturing, seasonally adjusted, January 1979–January 2018 (in thousands)
Period Employment

Jan 1979

19,388

Feb 1979

19,409

Mar 1979

19,453

Apr 1979

19,450

May 1979

19,509

Jun 1979

19,553

Jul 1979

19,531

Aug 1979

19,406

Sep 1979

19,442

Oct 1979

19,390

Nov 1979

19,299

Dec 1979

19,301

Jan 1980

19,282

Feb 1980

19,219

Mar 1980

19,217

Apr 1980

18,973

May 1980

18,726

Jun 1980

18,490

Jul 1980

18,276

Aug 1980

18,414

Sep 1980

18,445

Oct 1980

18,506

Nov 1980

18,601

Dec 1980

18,640

Jan 1981

18,639

Feb 1981

18,613

Mar 1981

18,647

Apr 1981

18,711

May 1981

18,766

Jun 1981

18,789

Jul 1981

18,785

Aug 1981

18,748

Sep 1981

18,712

Oct 1981

18,566

Nov 1981

18,409

Dec 1981

18,223

Jan 1982

18,047

Feb 1982

17,981

Mar 1982

17,857

Apr 1982

17,683

May 1982

17,588

Jun 1982

17,430

Jul 1982

17,278

Aug 1982

17,160

Sep 1982

17,074

Oct 1982

16,853

Nov 1982

16,722

Dec 1982

16,690

Jan 1983

16,705

Feb 1983

16,706

Mar 1983

16,711

Apr 1983

16,794

May 1983

16,885

Jun 1983

16,960

Jul 1983

17,059

Aug 1983

17,118

Sep 1983

17,255

Oct 1983

17,367

Nov 1983

17,479

Dec 1983

17,551

Jan 1984

17,630

Feb 1984

17,728

Mar 1984

17,806

Apr 1984

17,872

May 1984

17,916

Jun 1984

17,967

Jul 1984

18,013

Aug 1984

18,034

Sep 1984

18,019

Oct 1984

18,024

Nov 1984

18,016

Dec 1984

18,023

Jan 1985

18,009

Feb 1985

17,966

Mar 1985

17,939

Apr 1985

17,886

May 1985

17,855

Jun 1985

17,819

Jul 1985

17,776

Aug 1985

17,756

Sep 1985

17,718

Oct 1985

17,708

Nov 1985

17,697

Dec 1985

17,693

Jan 1986

17,686

Feb 1986

17,663

Mar 1986

17,624

Apr 1986

17,616

May 1986

17,593

Jun 1986

17,530

Jul 1986

17,497

Aug 1986

17,489

Sep 1986

17,498

Oct 1986

17,477

Nov 1986

17,472

Dec 1986

17,478

Jan 1987

17,465

Feb 1987

17,499

Mar 1987

17,507

Apr 1987

17,525

May 1987

17,542

Jun 1987

17,537

Jul 1987

17,593

Aug 1987

17,630

Sep 1987

17,691

Oct 1987

17,729

Nov 1987

17,775

Dec 1987

17,809

Jan 1988

17,790

Feb 1988

17,823

Mar 1988

17,844

Apr 1988

17,874

May 1988

17,892

Jun 1988

17,916

Jul 1988

17,926

Aug 1988

17,891

Sep 1988

17,914

Oct 1988

17,966

Nov 1988

18,003

Dec 1988

18,025

Jan 1989

18,057

Feb 1989

18,055

Mar 1989

18,060

Apr 1989

18,055

May 1989

18,040

Jun 1989

18,013

Jul 1989

17,980

Aug 1989

17,964

Sep 1989

17,922

Oct 1989

17,895

Nov 1989

17,886

Dec 1989

17,881

Jan 1990

17,797

Feb 1990

17,893

Mar 1990

17,868

Apr 1990

17,845

May 1990

17,797

Jun 1990

17,776

Jul 1990

17,704

Aug 1990

17,649

Sep 1990

17,609

Oct 1990

17,577

Nov 1990

17,428

Dec 1990

17,395

Jan 1991

17,330

Feb 1991

17,211

Mar 1991

17,140

Apr 1991

17,093

May 1991

17,070

Jun 1991

17,044

Jul 1991

17,015

Aug 1991

17,025

Sep 1991

17,010

Oct 1991

16,999

Nov 1991

16,961

Dec 1991

16,916

Jan 1992

16,839

Feb 1992

16,829

Mar 1992

16,805

Apr 1992

16,831

May 1992

16,835

Jun 1992

16,826

Jul 1992

16,819

Aug 1992

16,783

Sep 1992

16,761

Oct 1992

16,751

Nov 1992

16,758

Dec 1992

16,769

Jan 1993

16,791

Feb 1993

16,805

Mar 1993

16,795

Apr 1993

16,772

May 1993

16,766

Jun 1993

16,742

Jul 1993

16,739

Aug 1993

16,741

Sep 1993

16,769

Oct 1993

16,778

Nov 1993

16,800

Dec 1993

16,815

Jan 1994

16,855

Feb 1994

16,862

Mar 1994

16,897

Apr 1994

16,933

May 1994

16,962

Jun 1994

17,010

Jul 1994

17,026

Aug 1994

17,081

Sep 1994

17,115

Oct 1994

17,144

Nov 1994

17,186

Dec 1994

17,217

Jan 1995

17,262

Feb 1995

17,265

Mar 1995

17,263

Apr 1995

17,278

May 1995

17,259

Jun 1995

17,247

Jul 1995

17,218

Aug 1995

17,240

Sep 1995

17,247

Oct 1995

17,216

Nov 1995

17,209

Dec 1995

17,231

Jan 1996

17,208

Feb 1996

17,229

Mar 1996

17,193

Apr 1996

17,204

May 1996

17,222

Jun 1996

17,226

Jul 1996

17,223

Aug 1996

17,255

Sep 1996

17,252

Oct 1996

17,268

Nov 1996

17,277

Dec 1996

17,284

Jan 1997

17,297

Feb 1997

17,316

Mar 1997

17,340

Apr 1997

17,349

May 1997

17,362

Jun 1997

17,387

Jul 1997

17,389

Aug 1997

17,452

Sep 1997

17,465

Oct 1997

17,513

Nov 1997

17,556

Dec 1997

17,588

Jan 1998

17,619

Feb 1998

17,627

Mar 1998

17,637

Apr 1998

17,637

May 1998

17,624

Jun 1998

17,608

Jul 1998

17,422

Aug 1998

17,563

Sep 1998

17,557

Oct 1998

17,512

Nov 1998

17,465

Dec 1998

17,449

Jan 1999

17,427

Feb 1999

17,395

Mar 1999

17,368

Apr 1999

17,344

May 1999

17,333

Jun 1999

17,295

Jul 1999

17,308

Aug 1999

17,287

Sep 1999

17,281

Oct 1999

17,272

Nov 1999

17,282

Dec 1999

17,280

Jan 2000

17,284

Feb 2000

17,285

Mar 2000

17,302

Apr 2000

17,298

May 2000

17,279

Jun 2000

17,296

Jul 2000

17,322

Aug 2000

17,287

Sep 2000

17,230

Oct 2000

17,217

Nov 2000

17,202

Dec 2000

17,181

Jan 2001

17,104

Feb 2001

17,028

Mar 2001

16,938

Apr 2001

16,802

May 2001

16,661

Jun 2001

16,515

Jul 2001

16,382

Aug 2001

16,232

Sep 2001

16,117

Oct 2001

15,972

Nov 2001

15,825

Dec 2001

15,711

Jan 2002

15,587

Feb 2002

15,515

Mar 2002

15,443

Apr 2002

15,392

May 2002

15,337

Jun 2002

15,298

Jul 2002

15,256

Aug 2002

15,171

Sep 2002

15,119

Oct 2002

15,060

Nov 2002

14,992

Dec 2002

14,912

Jan 2003

14,866

Feb 2003

14,781

Mar 2003

14,721

Apr 2003

14,609

May 2003

14,557

Jun 2003

14,493

Jul 2003

14,402

Aug 2003

14,376

Sep 2003

14,347

Oct 2003

14,334

Nov 2003

14,316

Dec 2003

14,300

Jan 2004

14,290

Feb 2004

14,279

Mar 2004

14,287

Apr 2004

14,315

May 2004

14,342

Jun 2004

14,332

Jul 2004

14,330

Aug 2004

14,345

Sep 2004

14,331

Oct 2004

14,332

Nov 2004

14,307

Dec 2004

14,287

Jan 2005

14,257

Feb 2005

14,273

Mar 2005

14,269

Apr 2005

14,250

May 2005

14,256

Jun 2005

14,227

Jul 2005

14,226

Aug 2005

14,203

Sep 2005

14,175

Oct 2005

14,192

Nov 2005

14,187

Dec 2005

14,193

Jan 2006

14,210

Feb 2006

14,209

Mar 2006

14,214

Apr 2006

14,226

May 2006

14,203

Jun 2006

14,213

Jul 2006

14,188

Aug 2006

14,159

Sep 2006

14,125

Oct 2006

14,075

Nov 2006

14,041

Dec 2006

14,015

Jan 2007

14,008

Feb 2007

13,997

Mar 2007

13,970

Apr 2007

13,945

May 2007

13,929

Jun 2007

13,911

Jul 2007

13,889

Aug 2007

13,828

Sep 2007

13,790

Oct 2007

13,764

Nov 2007

13,757

Dec 2007

13,746

Jan 2008

13,725

Feb 2008

13,696

Mar 2008

13,659

Apr 2008

13,599

May 2008

13,564

Jun 2008

13,504

Jul 2008

13,430

Aug 2008

13,358

Sep 2008

13,275

Oct 2008

13,147

Nov 2008

13,034

Dec 2008

12,850

Jan 2009

12,561

Feb 2009

12,380

Mar 2009

12,208

Apr 2009

12,030

May 2009

11,862

Jun 2009

11,726

Jul 2009

11,668

Aug 2009

11,626

Sep 2009

11,591

Oct 2009

11,538

Nov 2009

11,509

Dec 2009

11,475

Jan 2010

11,460

Feb 2010

11,453

Mar 2010

11,453

Apr 2010

11,489

May 2010

11,525

Jun 2010

11,545

Jul 2010

11,561

Aug 2010

11,553

Sep 2010

11,563

Oct 2010

11,562

Nov 2010

11,585

Dec 2010

11,595

Jan 2011

11,621

Feb 2011

11,654

Mar 2011

11,675

Apr 2011

11,704

May 2011

11,713

Jun 2011

11,727

Jul 2011

11,746

Aug 2011

11,764

Sep 2011

11,769

Oct 2011

11,780

Nov 2011

11,770

Dec 2011

11,802

Jan 2012

11,838

Feb 2012

11,860

Mar 2012

11,898

Apr 2012

11,916

May 2012

11,927

Jun 2012

11,936

Jul 2012

11,964

Aug 2012

11,960

Sep 2012

11,954

Oct 2012

11,961

Nov 2012

11,950

Dec 2012

11,960

Jan 2013

11,983

Feb 2013

11,996

Mar 2013

11,999

Apr 2013

12,000

May 2013

12,000

Jun 2013

12,004

Jul 2013

11,984

Aug 2013

12,014

Sep 2013

12,032

Oct 2013

12,056

Nov 2013

12,079

Dec 2013

12,083

Jan 2014

12,082

Feb 2014

12,105

Mar 2014

12,121

Apr 2014

12,135

May 2014

12,147

Jun 2014

12,171

Jul 2014

12,190

Aug 2014

12,206

Sep 2014

12,224

Oct 2014

12,256

Nov 2014

12,282

Dec 2014

12,291

Jan 2015

12,296

Feb 2015

12,301

Mar 2015

12,313

Apr 2015

12,318

May 2015

12,336

Jun 2015

12,340

Jul 2015

12,355

Aug 2015

12,346

Sep 2015

12,345

Oct 2015

12,358

Nov 2015

12,354

Dec 2015

12,360

Jan 2016

12,384

Feb 2016

12,367

Mar 2016

12,348

Apr 2016

12,354

May 2016

12,336

Jun 2016

12,357

Jul 2016

12,371

Aug 2016

12,347

Sep 2016

12,340

Oct 2016

12,337

Nov 2016

12,339

Dec 2016

12,351

Jan 2017

12,369

Feb 2017

12,390

Mar 2017

12,400

Apr 2017

12,410

May 2017

12,414

Jun 2017

12,428

Jul 2017

12,424

Aug 2017

12,463

Sep 2017

12,469

Oct 2017

12,489

Nov 2017

12,519

Dec 2017

12,558

Jan 2018

12,578

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey.