The U.S. manufacturing sector plays a central role in the economy, accounting for 20% of U.S. capital investment, 60% of the nation's exports and 70% of business R&D. Overall, the sector's market size, measured in terms of revenue is worth roughly $6 trillion, making it a major industry to do business with. So which U.S. states are the biggest for manufacturing? This article will explore the nation's top manufacturing states, measured by number of employees, based on MNI's database of 400,000 U.S. manufacturing companies.

This statistic shows the number of private sector manufacturing employees in the United States from 1985 to 2024. In 2024, roughly ***** million people were employed in the private sector manufacturing industry.

In 2024, the finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing industry contributed the highest amount of value to the GDP of the U.S. at 21.2 percent. The construction industry contributed around four percent of GDP in the same year.

Graph and download economic data for All Employees, Manufacturing (MANEMP) from Jan 1939 to Jun 2025 about headline figure, establishment survey, manufacturing, employment, and USA.

In 2024, the education and health services industry employed the largest number of people in the United States. That year, about 37 million people were employed in the education and health services industry. Education and Health Services Industry Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States has started to fall behind in both education and the health care industry. Although the U.S. spends the most money in both these industries, they do not see their desired results in comparison to other nations. Furthermore, in the education services industry, there was a relatively significant wage gap between men and women. In 2019, men earned about 1,070 U.S. dollars per week on average, while their female counterparts only earned 773 U.S. dollars per week. Employment in the U.S. The 2008 financial crisis was a large-scale event that impacted the entire world, especially the United States. The economy started to improve after 2010, and the number of people employed in the United States has been steadily increasing since then. However, the number of people employed in the education sector is expected to slowly decrease until 2026. The overall unemployment rate in the United States has decreased since 2010 as well.

In April 2025, the agriculture and related private wage and salary workers industry had the highest unemployment rate in the United States, at eight percent. In comparison, government workers had the lowest unemployment rate, at 1.8 percent. The average for all industries was 3.9 percent. U.S. unemployment There are several factors that impact unemployment, as it fluctuates with the state of the economy. Unfortunately, the forecasted unemployment rate in the United States is expected to increase as we head into the latter half of the decade. Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher saw the lowest unemployment rate from 1992 to 2022 in the United States, which is attributed to the fact that higher levels of education are seen as more desirable in the workforce. Nevada unemployment Nevada is one of the states with the highest unemployment rates in the country and Vermont typically has one of the lowest unemployment rates. These are seasonally adjusted rates, which means that seasonal factors such as holiday periods and weather events that influence employment periods are removed. Nevada's economy consists of industries that are currently suffering high unemployment rates such as tourism. As of May 2023, about 5.4 percent of Nevada's population was unemployed, possibly due to the lingering impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2024, the finance, real estate, insurance, rental, and leasing industry added the most value to the GDP of the United States. In that year, this industry added 6.2 trillion U.S. dollars to the national GDP. Gross Domestic Product Gross domestic product is a measure of how much a country produces in a certain amount of time. Countries with a high GDP tend to have large economies, for example, the United States. However, GDP does not take into consideration the cost of living and inflation rates, so it is not a good measure of the standard of living. GDP per capita at purchasing power parity is thought to be more reflective of living conditions within a particular country. U.S. GDP California added the largest amount of value to the real GDP of the U.S. in 2022. California was followed by Texas and New York. In California, the professional and business services industry was the most valuable to GDP in 2022. In New York, the finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing industry added the most value to the state GDP. While the business sector added the highest value to the U.S. real GDP in 2021, it was the information industry that had the biggest percentage change in value added to the GDP between 2010 and 2021.

In 1990, the unemployment rate of the United States stood at 5.6 percent. Since then there have been many significant fluctuations to this number - the 2008 financial crisis left millions of people without work, as did the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of 2022 and throughout 2023, the unemployment rate came to 3.6 percent, the lowest rate seen for decades. However, 2024 saw an increase up to four percent. For monthly updates on unemployment in the United States visit either the monthly national unemployment rate here, or the monthly state unemployment rate here. Both are seasonally adjusted. UnemploymentUnemployment is defined as a situation when an employed person is laid off, fired or quits his work and is still actively looking for a job. Unemployment can be found even in the healthiest economies, and many economists consider an unemployment rate at or below five percent to mean there is 'full employment' within an economy. If former employed persons go back to school or leave the job to take care of children they are no longer part of the active labor force and therefore not counted among the unemployed. Unemployment can also be the effect of events that are not part of the normal dynamics of an economy. Layoffs can be the result of technological progress, for example when robots replace workers in automobile production. Sometimes unemployment is caused by job outsourcing, due to the fact that employers often search for cheap labor around the globe and not only domestically. In 2022, the tech sector in the U.S. experienced significant lay-offs amid growing economic uncertainty. In the fourth quarter of 2022, more than 70,000 workers were laid off, despite low unemployment nationwide. The unemployment rate in the United States varies from state to state. In 2021, California had the highest number of unemployed persons with 1.38 million out of work.

In April 2025, the value of the Manufacturing Purchasing Leaders' Index (PLI) in the United States stood at ****. An indicator of the economic health of the manufacturing sector, the Purchasing Leaders' Index is based on five major indicators: new orders, inventory levels, production, supplier deliveries and the employment environment. An index value above ** percent indicates a positive development in the manufacturing sector, whereas a value below ** percent indicates a negative situation.

According to preliminary figures, the growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) in China amounted to 5.0 percent in 2024. For 2025, the IMF expects a GDP growth rate of around 3.95 percent. Real GDP growth The current gross domestic product is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. It refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. When analyzing year-on-year changes, the current GDP is adjusted for inflation, thus making it constant. Real GDP growth is regarded as a key indicator for economic growth as it incorporates constant GDP figures. As of 2024, China was among the leading countries with the largest gross domestic product worldwide, second only to the United States which had a GDP volume of almost 29.2 trillion U.S. dollars. The Chinese GDP has shown remarkable growth over the past years. Upon closer examination of the distribution of GDP across economic sectors, a gradual shift from an economy heavily based on industrial production towards an economy focused on services becomes visible, with the service industry outpacing the manufacturing sector in terms of GDP contribution. Key indicator balance of trade Another important indicator for economic assessment is the balance of trade, which measures the relationship between imports and exports of a nation. As an economy heavily reliant on manufacturing and industrial production, China has reached a trade surplus over the last decade, with a total trade balance of around 992 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

According to preliminary data, the agricultural sector contributed around 6.8 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) of China in 2024, whereas 36.5 percent of the economic value added originated from the industrial sector and 54.6 percent from the service sector, respectively. The total GDP of China at current prices amounted to approximately 134.91 trillion yuan in 2024. Economic development in China The gross domestic product (GDP) serves as a primary indicator to measure the economic performance of a country or a region. It is generally defined as the monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within a country in a specific period of time. It includes all of private and public spending, government spending, investments, and net exports which are calculated as total exports minus imports. In other words, GDP represents the size of the economy.With its national economy growing at an exceptional annual growth rate of above nine percent for three decades in succession, China had become the worlds’ second largest economy by 2010, surpassing all other economies but the United States. Even though China's GDP growth has cooled down in recent years, its economy still expanded at roughly two times the pace of the United States in 2024. Breakdown of GDP in China When compared to other developed countries, the proportions of agriculture and industry in China's GDP are significantly higher. Even though agriculture is a major industry in the United States, it only accounted for about one percent of the economy in 2023. While the service sector contributed to more than 70 percent of the economy in most developed countries, it's share was considerably lower in China. This was not only due to China's lower development level, but also to the country’s focus on manufacturing and export. However, as the future limitations of this growth model become more and more apparent, China is trying to shift it's economic focus to the high-tech and service sectors. Accordingly, growth rates of the service sector have been considerably higher than in industry and agriculture in the years before the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2023, the United States tech sector contributed nearly *** trillion U.S. dollars to the country's overall gross domestic product (GDP), making up approximately *** percent of total GDP. Since 2018, the tech sector's yearly percentage of total GDP has remained relatively consistent.

In 2024, agriculture contributed around 0.56 percent to the United Kingdom’s GDP, 16.74 percent came from the manufacturing industry, and 72.79 percent from the services sector. The UK is not a farmer’s marketThe vast majority of the UK’s GDP is generated by the services sector, and tourism in particular keeps the economy going. In 2017, almost 214 billion British Pounds were contributed to the GDP through travel and tourism – about 277 billion U.S. dollars – and the forecasts see an upwards trend. For comparison, only an estimated 10.3 billion GBP were generated by the agriculture sector in the same year. But is it a tourist’s destination still? Though forecasts are not in yet, it is unclear whether travel and tourism can keep the UK’s economy afloat in the future, especially after Brexit and all its consequences. Higher travel costs, having to wait for visas, and overall more complicated travel arrangements are just some of the concerns tourists have when considering vacationing in the UK after Brexit. Consequences of the referendum are already observable in the domestic travel industry: In 2017, about 37 percent of British travelers said Brexit caused them to cut their holidays short by a few days, and about 14 percent said they did not leave the UK for their holidays because of it.

The statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in India from 1987 to 2030. In 2020, the estimated gross domestic product per capita in India amounted to about 1,915.55 U.S. dollars. See figures on India's economic growth here. For comparison, per capita GDP in China had reached about 6,995.25 U.S. dollars in 2013. India's economic progress India’s progress as a country over the past decade can be attributed to a global dependency on cheaper production of goods and services from developed countries around the world. India’s economy is built upon its agriculture, manufacturing and services sector, which, along with its drastic rise in population and demand for employment, led to a significant increase of the nation’s GDP per capita. Despite experiencing rather momentous economic gains since the mid 2000s, the Indian economy stagnated around 2012, with a decrease in general growth as well as the value of its currency. Residents and consumers in India have recently shown pessimism regarding the future of the Indian economy as well as their own financial situation, and with the recent economic standstill, consumer confidence in the country could potentially lower in the near future. Typical Indian exports consist of agricultural products, jewelry, chemicals and ores. Imports consist primarily of crude oil, gold and precious stones, used primarily in the manufacturing of jewelry. As a result, India has seen a rather highly increased demand of several gems in order to boost their jewelry industry and in general their exports. Although India does not export an extensive amount of goods, especially when considering the stature of the country, India has remained as one of the world’s largest exporters.

This statistic shows the ten U.S. states with the highest amount of milk production from 2020 to 2023. California, is the leading producer, where over four million pounds of milk were produced in 2023. Milk productionDairy farming is an agricultural business which is engaged in the long-term milk production within the dairy industry. It is a large contributor to the overall economy in many states. California, Wisconsin, New York, Idaho and Pennsylvania had the highest milk supply.The number of U.S. dairy farms has sharply decreased in the last decades, while dairy operations have ever-larger numbers of cows concentrated on a single farm. These extensive dairy farming conditions with a large herd size and a high milk output are seen as a profitable way for the milk industry in order to provide milk at relatively low cost for the consumer. Due to its high milk volume, the main cow used for milk production is the Holstein-Friesian. However, with this intensification of milking cows there comes a corresponding concentration of manure production which causes problems and challenges for the environment such as the risk of elevated nitrogen levels or contaminated ground water.Due to these environmental impacts, many dairy operations in Wisconsin are now facing opposition regarding plans to expand their dairy herds.

The statistic depicts Australia's gross domestic product (GDP) from 1987 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, GDP in Australia amounted to about 1.8 trillion US dollars. See global GDP for a global comparison. Australia’s economy and population Australia’s gross domestic product has been growing steadily, and all in all, Australia and its economic key factors show a well-set country. Australia is among the countries with the largest gross domestic product / GDP worldwide, and thus one of the largest economies. It was one of the few countries not severely stricken by the 2008 financial crisis; its unemployment rate, inflation rate and trade balance, for example, were hardly affected at all. In fact, the trade balance of Australia – a country’s exports minus its imports – has been higher than ever since 2010, with a slight dip in 2012. Australia mainly exports wine and agricultural products to countries like China, Japan or South Korea. One of Australia’s largest industries is tourism, which contributes a significant share to its gross domestic product. Almost half of approximately 23 million Australian residents are employed nowadays, life expectancy is increasing, and the fertility rate (the number of children born per woman) has been quite stable. A look at the distribution of the world population by continent shows that Australia is ranked last in terms of population and population density. Most of Australia's population lives at the coast in metropolitan areas, since parts of the continent are uninhabitable. Unsurprisingly, Australia is known as a country with very high living standards, four of its biggest cities – Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Perth – are among the most livable cities worldwide.

In 2020, the unemployment rate in Ghana was at approximately 3.01 percent of the total labor force. The unemployment rate is the percentage of a country's labor force that are without jobs but are available to work and actively seeking employment. Ghana’s unemployment rate is above the worldwide unemployment rate, and compared to other Sub-Saharan African countries and other regions, Ghana has a relatively average rate of unemployment. Ghana’s population Due to the nature of its economy and its population size of over 30 million people, Ghana’s estimated GDP per capita amounts to just over 2,200 U.S. dollars in 2018 and forecast to rise continually over the next few years. Almost half of the country’s population works in the services sector, and around 33 percent work in agriculture. The population is relatively young, with only around 3 percent of the total population aged 65 years or older. Ghana’s hopeful future One of the most important economic centers of its region, Ghana’s GDP is at over 65 billion U.S. dollars, and it is projected to grow to over 97 billion U.S. dollars by 2024. Ghana is a country with several valuable natural resources, including gold, petroleum, cocoa, and natural gas. The country’s economy is particularly focused on manufacturing and exporting digital technology goods, and industrial materials. Ghana utilizes these exports domestically as well; its mixed economy is increasingly digital based. A regional leader, it has the goal of being the first African nation to become a developed country in the next decade. There are several positive indications encouraging this possibility, such as that GDP has grown each year, albeit at inconsistent rates.

The statistic shows the distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, around 22.8 percent of the workforce were employed in the agricultural sector, 29.1 percent in the industrial sector and 48.1 percent in the service sector. This year, the share of agriculture increased for the first time in more than two decades, which highlights the difficult situation of the labor market due to the pandemic and economic downturn at the end of the year.

Distribution of the workforce in China

In 2012, China became the largest exporting country worldwide with an export value of about two trillion U.S. dollars. China’s economic system is largely based on growth and export, with the manufacturing sector being a crucial contributor to the country’s export competitiveness. Economic development was accompanied by a steady rise of labor costs, as well as a significant slowdown in labor force growth. These changes present a serious threat to the era of China as the world’s factory. The share of workforce in agriculture also steadily decreased in China until 2021, while the agricultural gross production value displayed continuous growth, amounting to approximately 7.8 trillion yuan in 2021.

Development of the service sector

Since 2011, the largest share of China’s labor force has been employed in the service sector. However, compared with developed countries, such as Japan or the United States, where 73 and 79 percent of the work force were active in services in 2021 respectively, the proportion of people working in the tertiary sector in China has been relatively low. The Chinese government aims to continue economic reform by moving from an emphasis on investment to consumption, among other measures. This might lead to a stronger service economy. Meanwhile, the size of the urban middle class in China is growing steadily. A growing number of affluent middle class consumers could promote consumption and help China move towards a balanced economy.

In 2023, the employment rate in China decreased to around 63.09 percent, from 63.57 percent in the previous year. China is the world’s most populous country and its rapid economic development over the past decades has profited greatly from its large labor market. While the overall working conditions for the Chinese people are improving, the actual size of the working-age population in China has been shrinking steadily in recent years. This is mainly due to a low birth rate in the country.

Economic slowdown – impact on labor market

After decades of rapid development, the world’s second largest economy now seems to have difficulties to boost its economy further. The GDP growth rate indicated a declining trend over the last decade and the number of employed people decreased for the first time since decades in 2015. Under the influence of the global economic downturn, the coronavirus pandemic, and the US-China tensions, many Chinese enterprises are having tough times, which leads to a recession in China’s labor market.

Chances for better employment situation

The long-lasting Sino-U.S. trade war has caused China great loss on its international trade sector, which has been driving China’s economic growth for decades. However, there is also a lot China could improve. First, the potential of domestic demands could be further developed and satisfied with high-quality products. Second, it’s a good timing to eliminate backward industries with low value added, and the high-tech and environment-friendly industries should be further promoted. In addition, China’s market could be more open to services, especially in the financial sector and IT services, to attract more foreign investors. Highly skilled talents should be better valued in the labor market. Efficient vocational education and further education could also help change the structure of China’s labor market.

Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Nigeria's oil sector generally accounted for about nine percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Between October and December 2020, the oil industry contributed to 5.9 percent to the total real GDP, a decrease of roughly three percentage points compared to the previous quarter. In the third quarter of 2023, the contribution of the oil sector to the country's GDP reached 5.48 percent. Impact of the pandemic on the oil sector In 2023, over 91 percent of the value of exports in Nigeria was generated by the mineral fuels, oils, and distillation products' sector, accounting for approximately 60 billion U.S. dollars. In 2019, due to the lower demand related to the COVID-19 pandemic, oil production and export dropped. Data for 2021 shows, indeed, a recovery in the export value derived from oil. Fluctuating oil production Nigeria is one of the largest oil producers in the world. At the beginning of 2020, Nigeria’s daily oil production exceeded two million barrels. Afterwards, the production fluctuated but mainly decreased, reaching 1.35 million barrels per day in October 2023. The lowest production volume since September 2019 was achieved in July 2023.