By Joel Kotkin and Michael Shires
Forbes
Manufacturing may no longer drive the U.S. economy, but industrial growth remains a powerful force in many regions of the country. Industrial employment has surged over the past five years, with the sector adding some 855,000 new jobs, a 7.5% expansion.
Several factors are driving this trend, including rising wages in China, the energy boom and a growing need to respond more quickly to local customer demand and the changing marketplace.
To generate our rankings of the best places for manufacturing jobs, we evaluated the 373 metropolitan statistical areas for which the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has complete data over the past decade. Our rankings factor in manufacturing employment growth over the long term (2003-14), medium term (2009-14) and the last two years, as well as momentum.
The top 10 cities include:
- Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI
- Warren-Troy-Farminton Hill, MI
- Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
- Nashville-Davidon-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
- Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Louisville-Jefferson County, KY
- Kansas City, MO
- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR
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