Manufacturing employs 15.1% of the total workforce in North Carolina, providing above-average-wage jobs to more than 500,000 people. This is slightly behind healthcare and social assistance, which employs 15.3% of the workforce. Manufacturing, however, continues to lead all industry sectors in North Carolina in its share of the state's GDP: 18.2%.
Manufacturing in the 21st century is highly efficient and productive. The simple assembly line has practically disappeared, and many manufacturing jobs involve highly skilled employees working in clean environments and technologically advanced settings.
Bar Chart showing North Carolina Percentage of Employment by Top Ten Industrial Sectors in 2008
Source: US Census Bureau - State & County Facts - North Carolina
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Bar Chart showing North Carolina Average Weekly Employee Wages by Industrial Sector for 2008
Source: US Census Bureau - State & County Facts - North Carolina
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Manufacturing wages in North Carolina rank 8th among the 20 different industrial sector categories, with an average weekly wage of $767 or slightly more than $19 per hour. Workers with specialty skills, of course, make more.
Manufacturers pay well for the skills they need. Manufacturing wages are higher on average than healthcare and social assistance, transportation, and construction.
Bar Chart of People and Profitability Study from 2009 showing categories of employees with moderate to serious shortages across all sectors
Source: Deloitte, Oracle, and the Manufacturing Institute
"People and Profitability Study: A time for change." (2009)
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In 2009, the Manufacturing Institute, the research arm of the National Association of Manufacturers, reported a moderate-to-severe shortage of skilled production employees.
The shortage is due, in part, to the stigma of industrial careers. But the reality is that modern manufacturing requires workers who are educated, motivated and creative. There’s nothing simple about modern industrial products, nor about how they’re made, but for those who are up to the challenge a career in manufacturing can be very rewarding.
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North Carolina Chamber Manufacturing Council
IES brings research and expertise from North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering to the workplace, to help businesses and organizations thrive. We will work anywhere, with any industry, to solve problems and deliver results like lower costs, better products, and higher efficiencies. We succeed when our clients succeed. Since 2000, IES has helped create almost $2 billion in economic value to the state of North Carolina; clients working with IES generally receive a $25:1 return on their investment.
IES is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a nationwide program that is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). With a network of MEP centers in every state and Puerto Rico, the program's purpose is to provide small and medium-sized manufacturers with the tools they need to succeed. In an independent survey conducted quarterly by MEP, manufacturing clients reported that IES services have been worth more than $1.06 billion from 2006 - 2010 in jobs saved or created, productivity gains, increased sales and increased investment opportunities.
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