Minnesota Manufacturing Week: Recognizing the State’s Largest Industry

Governor Mark Dayton has proclaimed Oct. 1-7, 2017 as Manufacturing Week in Minnesota. As the state’s largest industry, it is vital to Minnesota's economic health. One in nine jobs is in manufacturing, and these tend to be high-quality jobs that pay well.

Manufacturing contributed $48.2 billion to the state’s economy in 2016 – topping other industry sectors as measured by gross domestic product (GDP).

The average manufacturing job paid $63,794 in 2016. That’s about $9,500 – or 17 percent – more than the typical job in Minnesota.

“We want people to be aware of the dynamic career opportunities that exist in manufacturing across the state – and the family-sustaining wages they pay,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “DEED also partners with businesses and educational institutions to ensure that manufacturers can find the skilled workers they need to thrive and to grow their businesses.”

Minnesota has 318,000 jobs in manufacturing. But when you add in jobs in other industries that are dependent on manufacturing, that impact rises to 1,020,500 jobs. For more on the economic impact of manufacturing, visit the manufacturing section of DEED’s website.

Manufacturing employment in Minnesota has increased 9 percent between 2010 and 2016. There are more than 8,200 manufacturing establishments in the state producing products across a broad range of industries.

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