Which Manufacturing Industries Gained and Lost Jobs in May?

The latest employment summary from the U.S. Department of Labor reports employment in the U.S. manufacturing sector was little changed, following an increase of 11,000 manufacturing jobs posted in the month of April. In this article, we’ll examine the latest data from the Labor Department, exploring manufacturing job losses and gains by specific subsector.

U.S. Manufacturing Job Changes in May 2023

U.S. manufacturers lost 2,000 net jobs in May, following a 11,000-job gain in April. This is according to the latest jobs report from the Labor Department issued June 2nd.

Meanwhile, the U.S. economy added 339,000 jobs overall in May, and the unemployment rate inched up to 3.7%.

Additionally, the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey finds U.S. manufacturers are still struggling to hire, the number of job openings in manufacturing remaining elevated. The Labor Department recorded 663,000 unfilled positions for the sector in April (April JOLTS data is reported in May).

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Wondering which manufacturing industries gained and lost jobs in May? In this post, we’ll explore the most recent manufacturing numbers from the Labor Department, providing gains and losses by specific subsector.

The Manufacturing Sectors That Added the Most Jobs in May 2023

Durable goods manufacturing led May’s manufacturing job gains, adding 3,000 jobs, while non-durable goods lost 5,000 net jobs.

Transportation equipment overwhelmingly led May’s manufacturing employment gains, adding 10,500 jobs. This was followed by electrical equipment, which added 2,100 jobs and primary metals, which added 2,000.

Other sectors that added jobs included chemical manufacturing (+1,700); wood products (+800); communication equipment (+500); and navigational, measuring, and electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing (+500).

The Manufacturing Industries That Lost Jobs in May 2023

Job losses were widespread across most sectors in May and were sharpest in furniture manufacturing (-4,000); machinery manufacturing (-2,400); and fabricated metals (-2,300).

Other manufacturing industries losing jobs included printing and related support activities (-2,000), textile mills (-2,000); nonmetallic minerals (-1,800); paper manufacturing (-1,600); and semiconductors (-1,400 jobs).

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