Governor Mark Dayton has proclaimed Oct. 1-7, 2017 as Manufacturing Week in Minnesota. As the state’s largest industry, it is vital to Minnesota's economic health. One in nine jobs is in manufacturing, and these tend to be high-quality jobs that pay well.

Manufacturing contributed $48.2 billion to the state’s economy in 2016 – topping other industry sectors as measured by gross domestic product (GDP).

The average manufacturing job paid $63,794 in 2016. That’s about $9,500 – or 17 percent – more than the typical job in Minnesota.

“We want people to be aware of the dynamic career opportunities that exist in manufacturing across the state – and the family-sustaining wages they pay,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “DEED also partners with businesses and educational institutions to ensure that manufacturers can find the skilled workers they need to thrive and to grow their businesses.”

Minnesota has 318,000 jobs in manufacturing. But when you add in jobs in other industries that are dependent on manufacturing, that impact rises to 1,020,500 jobs. For more on the economic impact of manufacturing, visit the manufacturing section of DEED’s website.

Manufacturing employment in Minnesota has increased 9 percent between 2010 and 2016. There are more than 8,200 manufacturing establishments in the state producing products across a broad range of industries.

Manufacturing Week Events and Tours

This week – and throughout the month – manufacturers across the state are opening their doors to students and the public for tours. Find out more about tours in your area at Dream It. Do. Minnesota. In addition, manufacturers are being recognized at local events.

You’ll find more information on DEED’s Manufacturing Week web section. There you can get tips and tools for planning an event, find out more about manufacturing in Minnesota or take our fun manufacturing quiz.

Manufacturing Across Minnesota

Find out how manufacturing is doing in your area – and read about recent manufacturing employment trends in your region:

• Central Minnesota
• Northwest Minnesota
• Northeast Minnesota
• Southwest Minnesota
• Southeast Minnesota
• Twin Cities Metro

Tools and Resources for Manufacturers and Job Seekers

DEED offers information and resources for manufacturing businesses – and for people looking for jobs in manufacturing. These include:

• Why Minnesota Is Great for Manufacturing – an 8-page manufacturing brochure
• Made In Minnesota – a supply chain database that helps connect Minnesota manufacturers so they can buy materials, components and finished products from each other
• MinnesotaWorks.net – our no-fee online job posting site for employers and job seekers
• Occupations in Demand Tool – allows you to find out what jobs are in high demand in each region of the state
• Career and Education Explorer Tool – provides data on wages, demand, job opportunities and more
• Cost of Living Tool – provides a yearly estimate of the basic-needs cost of living in Minnesota by county, region and statewide

You also can subscribe to various DEED publications to stay up on a broad range of economic and employment information.