Manufacturing economy
US manufacturing productivity rose in only 39 of 80 industries in 2025
39 of 80. That's how many detailed US manufacturing industries raised labor productivity in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The other 41 didn't.
The broader picture was weaker. Productivity declined in 14 of the 20 three-digit manufacturing groups, and unit labor costs, the labor cost of making one unit of output, rose in all 20, by 4.5% on average.
This page traces those counts to the BLS release and explains what an industry count can and can't tell you about manufacturing as a whole.
Data covers Labor productivity, hours and unit labor costs in US manufacturing industries in 2025, with 2019 to 2025 trends (BLS Productivity and Costs by Industry, released June 24, 2026). Published 2026-10-16. Last reviewed 2026-10-16. Last updated 2026-10-16. Edited by Mike Ramsey / Reliable Media.
The figures and where they come from
Each figure is rated for how safely you can cite it today. Ratings judge current usability, not whether a number was ever correct.
| Figure | What it is | Source | Citation Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 of 80 | Four-digit manufacturing industries with productivity gains, 2025 | [A] | High | A count of industries, unweighted by size. |
| 14 of 20 | Three-digit manufacturing groups with productivity declines, 2025 | [A] | High | The broader three-digit level groups the detailed industries. |
| Up in all 20, 4.5% on average | Unit labor costs, three-digit manufacturing groups, 2025 | [A] | High | Unit labor costs rise when hourly compensation grows faster than productivity. |
| 50 of 80 | Four-digit industries with fewer hours worked, 2025 | [A] | High | Fewer hours can raise measured productivity even when output is flat. |
| 17 of 20 | Three-digit groups with lower output, 2025 | [A] | High | From the release's three-digit summary. |
| Motor vehicle parts, +4.6% | Largest gain among industries with 350,000+ workers | [A] | High | Among large industries only. |
| Other transportation equipment, +14.9% | Largest gain among durable goods industries | [A] | High | 25 of 47 durable industries raised productivity. |
| 54 of 80 | Four-digit industries with lower productivity, 2019 to 2025 | [A] | High | A six-year comparison, separate from the one-year 2025 figures. |
Why the numbers disagree
Industry counts aren't the same as a manufacturing-wide rate. "39 of 80" counts industries without weighting them by size, so a small industry counts as much as motor vehicle parts. For manufacturing as a whole, use an aggregate productivity measure.
Productivity can rise for unflattering reasons. It's output per hour, so an industry that cuts hours faster than output records a gain. The BLS says all six three-digit groups with productivity growth also recorded declines in hours worked.
Two levels of detail sit side by side. The 39 of 80 refers to four-digit industries; the 14 of 20 and the unit labor cost figures refer to broader three-digit groups. They aren't contradictory, and shouldn't be merged.
How to cite these figures
Cite it as BLS Productivity and Costs by Industry, 2025: labor productivity rose in 39 of 80 four-digit US manufacturing industries and fell in 14 of 20 three-digit groups.
Name the level of detail each time, four-digit or three-digit, since the counts differ.
If you connect this to automation, say it's your argument. The BLS release reports productivity, hours and costs; it doesn't attribute them to robots or any other technology.
Where people go wrong
Saying US manufacturing productivity fell in 2025 on the strength of these counts. They count industries, unweighted.
Reading the 4.5% unit labor cost rise as wage growth. Unit labor costs combine compensation and productivity.
Crediting or blaming robots for these results. The release doesn't discuss causes beyond output, hours and compensation.
How we checked
Every figure comes from the BLS news release on productivity and costs for manufacturing and mining industries in 2025, published June 24, 2026. We cite the archived copy so the link keeps pointing at this release.
We report counts exactly as the BLS states them and keep the four-digit and three-digit levels apart.
Full source list
Primary sources, with live links. Every figure above traces to one of these.
- [A]U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJune 24, 2026
BLS, "Productivity and Costs by Industry: Manufacturing and Mining Industries, 2025" (news release USDL-26-1020)
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/prin_06242026.htm
Common questions
- Did US manufacturing productivity rise in 2025?
- In fewer than half of detailed industries. The BLS says labor productivity rose in 39 of 80 four-digit manufacturing industries in 2025 and declined in 14 of 20 three-digit groups.
- Which manufacturing industry had the biggest productivity gain in 2025?
- Among durable goods, other transportation equipment manufacturing led with a 14.9% gain. Among industries with more than 350,000 workers, motor vehicle parts led at 4.6%.
- What happened to manufacturing labor costs in 2025?
- Unit labor costs rose in all 20 three-digit manufacturing groups, at an average rate of 4.5%, per the BLS.
- Has manufacturing productivity improved since 2019?
- Not in most detailed industries. Productivity decreased in 54 of 80 four-digit manufacturing industries from 2019 to 2025, according to the BLS.
More data, traced to source
- Do robots boost productivity? US manufacturing productivity says not lately
Robots are sold on productivity. US manufacturing labor productivity growth went from 3.4% a year to negative over the era automation accelerated. The measured record does not show the promised surge.
- Robots multiplied. US factory output barely moved. What the numbers show
The world's operating robot fleet passed 4.6 million while US industrial production sits barely above its baseline and runs below capacity. Automation is not tracking output the way people assume.
- Is US manufacturing declining? The share of GDP and the world it holds
US manufacturing is 12% of the economy, and America's share of global manufacturing fell from 28% to 16.5% before recovering to 18%. The numbers behind 'US manufacturing is declining' are more complicated than the slogan.
- US manufacturing jobs: 17.1 million in 2000, 12.6 million by 2018
US manufacturing employed 17.1 million people at the start of the century and 12.6 million by the time Congress's research service last counted, in 2018. Here are the figures behind 'manufacturing is dying' and 'manufacturing is back,' traced to that report.