All over the country, manufacturing firms are rebounding since the most recent economic struggles in the late 2000s. Manufacturing is seen as a great source of jobs in this country, even though the sector has lost about 2.5 million employees over the past decade. Still, there are signs that in some significant states, these industries are experiencing a major comeback.
Between 2009 and 2011, Michigan reported the highest rate of new job growth in manufacturing industries of any state. This has huge implications for the auto industry, as each of the Big 3 American automakers are headquartered there. Manufacturing accounted for 16.3 percent of that state’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011, according to this USA Today article. About 5 percent of that total came from the automobile industry.
In Indiana, strong gains in manufacturing have greatly increased hopes for the economy of that state. Manufacturing made up a massive 28.2 percent of Indiana’s entire economy in 2011, and has been bolstered by recent expansions into the state from global corporations like Honda. The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is another large presence in the state and is a big reason why chemical manufacturing made up 7 percent of Indiana’s total GDP.
States that already have a strong manufacturing presence are continuing to make gains. With $88.25 billion in manufacturing output in 2011, North Carolina had the fourth-best manufacturing economy in the country. Chemical manufacturing was responsible for most of this, but food, tobacco and beverage production also made up significant portions of that state’s economy.
The past few decades have been trying times for the American economy, especially when it comes to factory jobs. As we adapt and move forward in a new, globally-connected world, manufacturing can again be the creator of viable jobs across the country. When companies are ready, C Marshall Fabrication Machinery, Inc. will be sure to standby with all of the equipment they’ll need to get ahead.