Manufacturing Industries That Gained and Lost Jobs in January

U.S. manufacturing companies added jobs at an accelerated rate in January, according to the latest jobs report from the Labor Department issued February 3rd.

U.S. Manufacturing Job Gain Totals for January 2023

In January 2023, U.S. manufacturers added 19,000 jobs, more than double the 8,000 jobs added in December.

Meanwhile, the U.S. economy added 517,000 jobs overall in January, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.4%.

Additionally, the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey finds the number of job openings in manufacturing eased further, with the Labor Department recording 730,000 unfilled positions for the sector in December (December JOLTS data is reported in February). This is compared to 795,000 open positions reported in November and 835,000 unfilled positions reported one year ago.

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Today, we’re exploring 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 January 2023

In January, employment in non-durable goods manufacturing made a comeback, adding 15,000 jobs, while durable goods manufacturing added 4,000 jobs.

Gains in non-durable goods were overwhelmingly led by the food products manufacturing sector, which added 6,900 jobs, followed by apparel manufacturing, which gained 2,100 jobs.

On the durable goods side, gains were seen in the nonmetallic mineral products, which added 4,200; fabricated metals, which added 3,100; and machinery manufacturing, which gained 2,000.

Marginal gains were also seen in semiconductors, electrical equipment, and plastics manufacturing.

The Manufacturing Industries That Lost Jobs in January 2023

U.S. manufacturing jobs losses in January 2023 were sharpest in the transportation equipment sector, which shed 8,400 jobs and the chemical industry, which lost 3,500 jobs.

Other U.S. manufacturing sectors that lost jobs in January included communications equipment manufacturing (-1,100) and furniture (-500).

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