15 States That Have Lost the Most Manufacturing Jobs Since the Turn of the Century

The Changing Face of American Factories: 15 States That Have Lost the Most Manufacturing Jobs

There is a lot of talk in Washington these days about a “manufacturing renaissance.” With policies like the CHIPS Act and new tariffs aiming to bring critical industries back to U.S. soil, the goal of reviving 

American manufacturing is a rare point of bipartisan focus. Companies are indeed investing billions in new factories for everything from semiconductors to electric vehicles.

But if you are waiting for a return to the heyday of factory employment, it is important to understand a crucial, and perhaps disappointing, reality: the modern factory is a different place. 

It is far more automated and efficient. This means that even as output grows, the number of people required to run these facilities has fallen dramatically over the last two decades.

To understand the full picture, researchers analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis to see how manufacturing employment has shifted since the turn of the century. 

The story is one of profound change, with some states experiencing staggering job losses even as their manufacturing output, in many cases, has actually increased.

Here is a look at the 15 states that have seen the steepest decline in manufacturing jobs since 2000.

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