Mapped: Manufacturing jobs are growing in Louisiana
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Louisiana's growth in manufacturing employment is outpacing the national average, according to federal data.
The big picture: Employment in manufacturing jobs in the state increased 1.1% from 2019 to 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Nationally, employment in the sector grew 0.7% during the timeframe.
Zoom in: Transportation and food accounted for much of the growth nationally. Another bright spot was computer and electronics, spurred by the Biden administration's efforts to bolster domestic chip making.
- Metal manufacturing has struggled post-pandemic, according to the Economic Innovation Group, a centrist think tank.
- The post-pandemic period also shifted manufacturing growth away from rural areas and toward small urban counties and parishes, which have become the sector's primary drivers of job creation, the group says.
By the numbers: Louisiana had 139,240 people working in manufacturing in 2023.
- The most recent U.S. total was 12.8 million, with California, Texas and Ohio having the most workers in the sector.
Zoom out: Though manufacturing grabs a lot of attention politically, it's not a big piece of the overall job market anymore.
- In 1970, manufacturing jobs made up 31% of private employment. In 2023, that share was down to 9.7%, notes EIG.
Go deeper: Manufacturing jobs now exceed pre-pandemic levels