From iconic auto plants to global appliance makers, Kentucky's manufacturing sector remains one of America's most productive. The state's industrial base blends deep automotive roots with a fast-growing mix of food, metals, and machinery producers. Today, we're exploring some key facts and insights on Kentucky manufacturing and providing information on the ten largest factories in the state.

The Major Household Appliance Manufacturing industry in Kentucky is expected to decline an annualized -x.x% to $x.x billion over the five years to 2025, while the national industry will likely decline at -x.x% during the same period. Industry establishments stagnated an annualized x% to x locations. Industry employment has increased an annualized x% to x,xxx workers, while industry wages have decreased an annualized x% to $x.x million.

Graph and download economic data for Gross Domestic Product: Primary Metal Manufacturing (331) in Kentucky (KYPRIMETMANNGSP) from 1997 to 2024 about primary metals, primary, KY, metals, durable goods, GSP, private industries, goods, private, manufacturing, industry, GDP, and USA.

The Major Label Music Production industry in Kentucky is expected to decline an annualized -x.x% to $x.x million over the five years to 2025, while the national industry will likely grow at x.x% during the same period. Industry establishments increased an annualized x.x% to x locations. Industry employment has increased an annualized x.x% to xx workers, while industry wages have increased an annualized x.x% to $x.x million.

Graph and download economic data for Chain-Type Quantity Index for Real GDP: Primary Metal Manufacturing (331) in Kentucky (KYPRIMETMANQGSP) from 1997 to 2024 about primary metals, quantity index, primary, KY, metals, GSP, durable goods, private industries, goods, private, manufacturing, industry, GDP, and USA.

Gross Domestic Product: Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331) in Kentucky was 2957.90000 Mil. of $ in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Gross Domestic Product: Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331) in Kentucky reached a record high of 3181.80000 in January of 2006 and a record low of 1070.60000 in January of 2009. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Gross Domestic Product: Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331) in Kentucky - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

The Primary Care Doctors industry in Kentucky is expected to grow an annualized x.x% to $x.x billion over the five years to 2025, while the national industry will likely grow at x.x% during the same period. Industry establishments increased an annualized x.x% to x,xxx locations. Industry employment has increased an annualized x.x% to x,xxx workers, while industry wages have increased an annualized x.x% to $x.x billion.

West Virginia was the state with the most coal-mining jobs in the United States, with some ****** employees in 2023. The state's coal mining employment has been in decline since 2010, when just over ****** people were working in the sector. By comparison, there were ***** jobs in this industry in Kentucky in 2023, which was the second-largest coal mining employer state. Coal-mining employment in the U.S. Of all U.S. coal-producing regions, the Appalachian region held the most significant portion of available coal-mining jobs, amounting to over ****** employees in total in 2023. The total coal-mining employment in the United States reached ****** jobs in that same year. More than half of those jobs were in underground mines. Similarly, in West Virginia, there were ****** underground mining jobs and ***** surface mining jobs as of 2022. U.S. mining industry employment breakdown The entire U.S. mining industry employed some ******* people (with the exclusion of the oil and gas sector, which is also considered mining) in 2022. U.S. coal mining employment increased in the early ***** due to increases in exports and decreases within local coal mines. Decreases in productivity within the mines require more workers per unit of production. Although energy derived from coal still accounts for a large part of the United States' electricity production, the U.S. solar power industry is currently providing many more jobs than the coal mining industry.

Pennsylvania is home to the greatest number of coal power stations in the United States. As of July 2025, the Northeast state had 14 operational coal-fired power plants. This was two stations more than Texas and Indiana, which ranked a shared second that year. How is coal used in the U.S? Coal is used primarily to produce electricity and heat in the U.S. However, by 2024, coal-fired electricity generation in the U.S. was only a third of what it had been in 2008. The electric power sector accounts for the greatest consumption of coal in the U.S. Although coal has historically played a larger role in the industrial sector, today its role in both this sector and electricity production has slowly diminished in favor of oil and gas. Its primary function outside of energy production is in iron manufacturing via coking coal. The future of coal power plants in the U.S. Generally, U.S. power production from fossil fuels is expected to decrease in the following years. Projections of coal power generation in the U.S. say that it will experience a significant decline by 2050. It is estimated that only seven billion kilowatt-hours of electricity will be produced by then compared to the 662 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025.

The automotive industry's relentless pursuit of efficiency and lightweighting is driving significant growth in the market for substrate holding mats. These specialized materials play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and quality of automotive components during manufacturing processes, particularly in applications involving high-temperature curing and handling of delicate substrates. The market, currently estimated at $500 million in 2025, is projected to experience a robust Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7% from 2025 to 2033, reaching approximately $900 million by the end of the forecast period. This growth is fueled by several key factors: the increasing adoption of advanced materials in vehicle manufacturing (requiring more sophisticated handling solutions), expanding electric vehicle (EV) production (leading to higher demand for specialized substrate mats in battery component production), and a global trend towards automation in automotive assembly lines. Major players like 3M, Ibiden, Unifrax, and KY-Mat Material are actively investing in research and development to enhance product performance and cater to evolving industry demands. However, challenges remain. The market faces constraints from fluctuating raw material prices and potential supply chain disruptions, particularly concerning specialized fibers and polymers used in the manufacturing of high-performance substrate holding mats. Furthermore, intense competition among established players and the emergence of new entrants require continuous innovation and strategic partnerships to maintain a strong market position. Segmentation within the market is largely driven by material type (ceramic, polymer, composite), application (e.g., battery production, PCB manufacturing), and geographical region. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be a major growth driver due to the rapid expansion of automotive manufacturing in countries like China and India. Future growth will hinge on the continued adoption of advanced manufacturing techniques, the development of sustainable and eco-friendly materials, and the effective management of supply chain complexities.

Once a major powerhouse of the British economy, the coal mining industry was the lifeblood of several regions, providing employment to more than *********** workers before the 1930s. Since that time, shifting attitudes towards coal and the emergence of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar have seen coal's role in the UK's energy mix diminish. By 1990, the coal industry was still an employer to some ****** people, however from 2016 onwards, this figure had fallen to less than ************. Coal mines in the UK As of 2023, there were ***** UK coal mines left in operation. Of these, *** was an opencast site and *** were deep mines. The British government has made it clear that phasing out coal is necessary for the country to reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The industry is thus set to further contract in the future. Coal job cuts globally The shrinking number of jobs has not been isolated to the UK, with similar coal mining employment reductions in the United States. In some U.S. states, such as Kentucky, coal mining jobs had fallen by more than ************** in the past *** years. In Australia, where coal mining has traditionally been as strong contributor to the economy, this decreasing trend is also visible.