What’s Trending in Manufacturing

Manufacturing Matters in Massachusetts

By John Killam, Center Director, MassMEP

Manufacturing establishments employ about 250,000 workers or 9% of the Commonwealth’s total employment. The majority of these companies are small to medium sized manufacturers. Ninety-five percent of the state’s manufacturers employ fewer than 500 employees. Of that number, ninety-two employ less than 100 employees. Approximately 3% of the state’s manufacturers employee more than 500 employees.

As you can see, the Massachusetts manufacturing base remains strong today despite a 30% contraction from 10,000 companies in 2001. Manufacturing employment has remained strong since 2010.

Since 1997, manufacturing productivity per worker has increased steadily as a measure of Gross State Product (GSP) and in 2011 was 56% greater than that of the private sector as a whole.  ($114,568 per private sector worker vs. $178,625 per manufacturing worker). Productivity gains corresponded with a 37% growth in manufacturing from $60,886 in 2004 to $83,404 in 2014.

Manufacturing Matters to the Future Economy of Massachusetts.