Rock County has a strong employment base in durable goods manufacturing.
It is estimated that close to one in every ten employees working in Rock County is involved in the production of automobiles, either in assembly or in the production of raw materials for assembly. All over the Southwest region, manufacturing is the dominant industry. Five of the ten largest employers in the region are in the manufacturing industry, and four of the ten largest industries are in manufacturing. More than one in four jobs in the Southwest Wisconsin are in manufacturing. Lafayette County is one of only four Wisconsin Counties where 40 percent or more of total county employment is directly related to farming or farm related products.