Manufacturing Week celebrates industry while employment grows

As Manufacturing Week kicks off on Friday, Oct. 7, the U.S. Census Bureau and Manufacturing USA are providing valuable manufacturing statistics and data to help inform policymakers and businesses, while also highlighting careers in the industry.

The Bureau features many different resources that share statistics, infographics, webinars, and past stories that detail different aspects of the progress being made in manufacturing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, close to 22,000 people started jobs in manufacturing this August, and 67,000 more people are working in manufacturing jobs than before the pandemic.

As part of the celebration, some of the strides in manufacturing made by women in the industry are being highlighted. According to Census Bureau data, the share of women in manufacturing rose in every working-age category from 2010 until the pandemic hit in 2020. However, 2021 data show the numbers returning to pre-Covid levels, with women ages 55 to 64 going into manufacturing jobs increasing from 8.6% pre-pandemic to 9.1% in 2021.  Women also held about 25% of the managerial positions in manufacturing and earned 16% more compared to the national median income for employed women.  

More information can be found through both the Census Bureau  and Manufacturing USA.