The US is still a top global manufacturer in terms of output, ranking second behind China and producing $1.87 trillion worth of goods in 2015. While the US lost over 5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000, job growth is starting to increase again with 37,000 new jobs added in July 2018. The manufacturing industry makes up 12% of the US economy compared to 27% in China. Despite challenges over the past decades, the US has consistently ranked among the top countries in manufacturing output.

1. The US is Still a Leader in
Manufacturing Output despite
Challenges in the Past Decade,
Reports Say
Volumetric Technologies

2. The U.S. is still a top contributor in terms of output, despite losing over five million manufacturing
workers since 2000 , according to the latest Global Manufacturing Scorecard by The Brookings Institute.
The organization analyzed the manufacturing industries of 19 leading countries and ranked them on a
100-point scale. The United Kingdom and Switzerland were tied in the first place, scoring 78 points out
of 100. The United States followed closely with 77 points. Japan and Canada were tied in third place
with 74 points.
Output Numbers
The Brookings Institute also measured the manufacturing output of the countries they studied. China
leads the pack with over $2.01 trillion worth of production in 2015. Again, the United States came in
second, with $1.867 trillion, and Japan was in third place with $1.063 trillion. The organization stated
that the manufacturing industry in the U.S. makes up 12% of the country’s national output, compared
with China’s 27%. In terms of rankings throughout the years, however, the U.S. stayed at the top,
continually placing first and second in manufacturing output from 1970 to 2015, according to 2017 data
from manufacturing magazine Made Here Now.

3. A Boost in Jobs
Manufacturing jobs in the U.S. made a drastic drop in 2000, according to a report by CNN Business. The news outlet stated
that in between the start of the new millennium and 2016, over five million manufacturing jobs were cut. CNN said that
politicians see overseas outsourcing of manufacturing processes as one of the reasons behind this significant drop. Workers
then transitioned from factories to other fields, such as healthcare and other services.
Job gains are starting to pick up pace in the industry, as 37,000 manufacturing jobs were created in July 2018, according to
a report by news outlet CNBC. This boosted the sector’s annual job gain after a 20-year slump.
Despite the recent ups and downs in the sector’s employment, the fact remains that the U.S.’ manufacturing output has
consistently been stable. As more jobs open, and quality equipment like tabletop conveyors continue to improve, there’s no
way to go but up.

4. Sources:
http://www.volumetrictechnologies.com/food-grade-conveyors/table-top-conveyor
https://www.brookings.edu/research/global-manufacturing-scorecard-how-the-us-compares-to-18-other-nations/
https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/29/news/economy/us-manufacturing-jobs/
http://www.madeherenow.com/news/post/2017/01/27/britain-moves-up-the-world-manufacturing-league-table
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/03/job-gains-for-the-manufacturing-industry-are-the-most-since-1995.html