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October is Manufacturing Month in Minnesota

Manufacturing industry is a cornerstone of state’s economy, offering a wealth of employment opportunities

St. Paul - Governor Walz has proclaimed the entire month of October as Manufacturing Month, which kicks off today, recognizing the critical importance of manufacturing to Minnesota’s economy and highlighting the many career opportunities in this vital industry.

Manufacturing provided 14% of the state’s gross domestic product and accounted for 11.4% of statewide employment in 2020. Over 309,000 people work in manufacturing in Minnesota and, in terms of direct and indirect jobs, manufacturing supports almost 900,000 jobs, or roughly 33% of all the state’s jobs. Average annual wages for workers in manufacturing are $70,860, 10% higher than across all industries in Minnesota.

“Manufacturing jobs pay well and many offer opportunities for advancement on a promising career path,” said Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove . “Minnesota added 2,300 new manufacturing jobs in August. Minnesota manufacturers could likely continue adding new jobs for some time, if there are enough workers to fill them. At DEED, we are focused on highlighting manufacturing employment opportunities throughout the state.”

Many manufacturing jobs can be started with a high school diploma and employer provided on-the-job training. Several of the current Top 30 Jobs in Demand in Minnesota are in manufacturing – including production workers and first-line supervisors of production and operating workers.

The next generation of workers will be a much more racially and ethnically diverse workforce than in past generations, and DEED is working with Minnesota manufacturers to enhance outreach to youth, especially youth from Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The number of Minnesotans from BIPOC communities is expected to grow by 61.4% between 2018 and 2038, while the number of white residents will decrease by 1.6% during that same time frame.

Minnesota has more than 8,000 manufacturers making a wide range of products. Most manufacturing jobs in the state are concentrated in these areas: food manufacturing, computer and electronic products, fabricated metal products, machinery, medical devices and miscellaneous products, printing, plastics and rubber products, and chemical products.

Employers and people interested in exploring a career in manufacturing can find information on October’s Tour of Manufacturing events, manufacturing hiring events, fact sheets about working in manufacturing, regional labor market information focused on manufacturing, the Governor’s proclamation and many other resources at CareerForceMN.com/Manufacturing.