Myth #4 Truth

Myth #3 Truth

133M

75M

Myth #2 Truth

Truth

2010 2019

Manufacturing Myths – Debunked!

Truth

2010 2019

Truth

Truth

75M

133M

Truth

Manufacturing Myths – Debunked! 

- THE TRUTHS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY TODAY -

Truth 

Employment,

U.S. manufacturing shipments, and

is in decline. exports are on 

the rise. 

Manufacturing is 11% of the U.S. GDP 

when narrowly defined by government statistics 

including only the value-added of manufacturing facilities 

Manufacturing is 1/3 of the U.S. economy

when you include facilities AND everything they involve: 

Upstream raw materials Logistics 

Energy consumed Downstream wholesale 

by factories and retail distribution 

Corporate offices 

and R&D centers 

Longest continuous post-war Manufacturers’ sales increased by 29%

expansion of manufacturing over the decade 2009 – 2019, and 

employment took place between manufactured exports grew by 51%

2010 and 2019 (prior to pandemic), during the same period. 

with modest but consistent gains. 

U.S. is 2nd largest manufacturer 

in the world, responsible for 17% 

of world manufacturing activity. 2010 2019 

HOW THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK HELPS 

The MEP National NetworkTM contributes to the growth of U.S. manufacturing. 

$13 Billion 105,000 Jobs $127 Billion 1.1M Jobs 

In FY 2020 alone, the Network helped to Since its inception in 1988, the MEP National Network 

generate $13 billion in new and retained sales has helped generate over $127 billion in new and 

and create or retain more than 105,000 jobs. retained sales and create or retain over 1.1 million jobs. 

Myth #2 Do Not

Enter Truth

Manufacturing is a Manufacturing is actually 

poor career choice. an excellent choice. 

MANUFACTURING JOBS PROVIDE: 

Path to upward mobility, 

since more than 81% of 

Manufacturing employs about 9% jobs require no work Employment for over 12 million of the total workforce in the U.S. experience for an people, as the 5th largest but almost 36% of all the entry-level position. employment sector in the U.S. engineers in the country. 

7% more in salary 

than in service industries. 

More in benefits; earning Salary Premiums Stability, with lower turnover and 

paid to recruit qualified talent 32% more in benefits per hour higher tenure than overall private 

(as skilled machinists retire). than employees in service industries. sector non-manufacturing jobs. 

HOW THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK HELPS 

An event that showcases both modern manufacturing and the careers available, Manufacturing Day 

occurs the first Friday of every October and has attracted up to 325,000+ attendees annually across 

the 50 states and Puerto Rico. To facilitate industry growth, the MEP National Network hosts, 

coordinates, and promotes events for this occasion. 

Truth Myth #3 Jobs are changing,

Automation will and new skills will be 

eliminate jobs. needed along with 

traditional expertise. 

AUTOMATION AND JOBS 

“The evidence suggests structural 

unemployment will not increase due 

to automation.” (Information Technology 

& Innovation Foundation) 

“These disparate findings suggest that the 

main impact of automation in the near future Automation helps the U.S. compete internationally, 

may be to cause a major reallocation of jobs.” and the more successful it is, the more jobs will result. 

(VoxEU.org/CEPR) 

Automation is changing the way

manufacturing works: Jobs Displaced 75M by Automation: Net

Gain 

Reduced Labor — Tasks being automated 

Job Growth in New Roles: 

(driven by new technology 133M 

and automation) + Routine 

+ Repetitive One projection from 2018* says that by 2022, 133 million new 

jobs (worldwide) will be created, more than offsetting the + Predictable 

75 million displaced. 

*Pre-Covid projection of global non-agricultural employment based on Increased Labor — Tasks that require humans World Economic Forum survey 

+ Problem Solving

AUTOMATION AND HUMAN SKILLS 

+ Adaptability 

“Many manufacturers today are turning toward + Creative Thinking 

automation to supplement the low-skilled jobs 

they cannot fill and instead focus their existing 

workers on jobs that are either higher skilled Jobs are increasing in: 

or require uniquely human skills.” (Deloitte and 

The Manufacturing Institute) + Data analytics 

+ AI and machine “Nearly 70% of manufacturers said they are learning specialists creating or expanding training programs for 

their workforce.” (Manufacturing Institute) + Software and application 

development 

HOW THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK HELPS 

The New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership helped Navajo Spirit, a manufacturer of Native 

American-inspired clothing, increase production and sales while creating jobs by integrating

automation and retraining employees. HOW THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK HELPS

Myth #4 Truth 

Manufacturing is harmful In manufacturing, 

to the environment. sustainability = profitability. 

THE ADOPTION OF LEAN MANUFACTURING MEANS: 

Higher efficiency Cutting down on: 

Raw Material Energy Waste Pollution Consumption Usage 

SUSTAINABILITY ALLOWS FOR: 

Sustained success over time Contributing positively to: Cost savings: 

Workforce Intelligent lighting 

Keeping the workplace healthier systems can save over 

40% of energy 

Society 

Reducing energy consumption Energy management 

systems to optimize

Environment usage can save 30% of 

Keeping air and water cleaner energy consumption. 

HOW THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK HELPS 

The Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center helped Port Chilkoot Distillery make their 

plant more eco-friendly, reducing waste and costs at the same time. 

www.nist.gov/mep/mep-national-network 

1-800-MEP-4MFG 

Sources: US Bureau of Economic Analysis; The Manufacturing Value Chain Is Much Bigger Than You Think!, Daniel J. Meckstroth, PhD, Vice President and Chief Economist, MAPI Foundation, February 2016; Gray.com, Debunking Myths About U.S. Manufacturing 

; Myth-Busting American Manufacturing, MAPI Foundation.org, 5/18/17; US Census Bureau, International Trade in Goods and Services; US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, February 2021; Blog.Thomasnet.com, 4 Myths About American Manufacturing, Team Thomas, 9/18/18; California’s Manufacturing Industries, Institute for Applied Economics, June 2014; Statista.com, Total employed persons in the United States in 2020, by industry, January 2021; US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee 

Compensation, National Compensation Survey, 2020; US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey; World Economic Forum.org, 4 Myths About Manufacturing in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Ian Cronin, Adrian Widmer, and Diego Hernandez 

Diaz, 2/4/19; California’s Manufacturing Network, The 3 Biggest Myths About Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing, 2/13/18; Autonomous Manufacturing, What Is Industry 4.0? Dispelling 4 Common Myths, 1/15/19; CNBC.com, Manufacturers to spend $26.2 billion on 

‘upskilling’ in 2020 to attract and keep workers, 1/17/20; Kentuckianaworks.org, What Manufacturing Can Teach Us About How Automation Impacts Jobs, 6/18/19; Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), Robotics and the Future of Production and Work, Robert 

Atkinson, October 2019; KentuckianaWorks, What Manufacturing Can Teach Us about How Automation Impacts Jobs, Kathleen Bolter, 6/18/19; VoxEU.org/CEPR, Automation and Jobs: When Technology Boosts Employment, James Bessens, 9/12/19; 2018 Deloitte and 

The Manufacturing Institute skills gap and future of work study; The Manufacturing Institute Training Survey, 1/17/20; MEPNN FY2020 Impacts Overview; Nist.gov/mep/mep-national-network/manufacturing-videos; Nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-day; Nist.gov/mep/successstories, Bringing Innovation to Rural Clothing Manufacturer, 2020; Nist.gov/mep/successstories, Port Chilkoot Distillery Maximizes Energy Efficiency, 2020