Truth

2010 2019

133M

75M

Myth #2 Truth

Myth #3

Truth

Myth #4 Truth

Truth

2010 2019

Truth

75M

133M

Truth

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. 

Truth 

Myth #3 Jobs are changing, 

Automation will and new skills will be 

eliminate jobs. needed along with 

traditional expertise. 

“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 

Jobs Displaced manufacturing works: 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 

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

75 million displaced. 

Increased Labor — Tasks that require humans 

*Pre-Covid projection of global non-agricultural employment based on 

World Economic Forum survey 

+ Problem Solving 

+ Adaptability 

“Many manufacturers today are turning toward + Creative Thinking automation to supplement the low-skilled jobs 

they cannot fill and instead focus their Jobs are increasing in: existing workers on jobs that are either higher 

skilled or require uniquely human skills.”

(Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute) + Data analytics 

+ AI and machine 

learning specialists “Nearly 70% of manufacturers said they are 

creating or expanding training programs for + Software and application

their workforce.” (Manufacturing Institute) 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. 

Do Not

Myth #2 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 jobs 

require no work experience Manufacturing employs about 9%

of the total workforce in the U.S. for an entry-level position. Employment for over 12 million but almost 36% of all the people, as the 5th largest engineers in the country. employment sector in the U.S. 

7% more in salary 

than in service 

industries. 

Salary Premiums 

paid to recruit qualified More in benefits; earning Stability, with lower turnover and 

talent (as skilled 32% more in benefits per hour higher tenure than overall private 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. 

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

Keeping the 

workplace healthier 

Intelligent lighting systems can 

save over 40% of energy 

Society 

Reducing energy 

consumption 

Environment Energy management systems to 

Keeping air and optimize usage can save 30% 

water cleaner of 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