Gitnux/Report 2026

Chicago Manufacturing Industry Statistics

Chicago manufacturers helped power a $52.3 billion share of metro GDP in 2021 while 612,000 jobs, supply chain spend of $112.4 billion, and $38.7 billion in 2022 export value underline how far the impact travels. What stands out is the push and pull between higher tech momentum and real cost pressure, from energy at $3.4 billion annually and $8.9 billion in logistics supported to digital transformation rising 28% to $2.1B in 2022 and 68% of firms adopting automation by then.
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Chicago Manufacturing Industry Statistics
Marcus AfolabiWritten by Marcus Afolabi·Edited by Abigail Foster·Fact-checked by Nikolas Papadopoulos
Last verified Jun 18, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

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03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

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Next review Dec 2026
Manufacturing added 52.3 billion dollars to Chicago metro GDP. Exports reached 38.7 billion dollars while the sector supported 612000 jobs. Figures on establishments, wages, output growth, and automation show how spending, supply chains, and workforce changes interact.

Key Takeaways

  • Manufacturing contributed $52.3 billion to Chicago metro GDP in 2021, 15.2% of total
  • Manufacturing taxes paid: $4.1 billion to Illinois state/local in 2021 from Chicago firms
  • Export value from Chicago manufacturing: $38.7 billion in 2022
  • In 2022, Chicago metro manufacturing employment totaled 248,500 workers, accounting for 8.5% of total nonfarm employment in the region
  • Manufacturing jobs in Chicago grew by 2.1% from 2021 to 2022, adding 5,100 positions primarily in fabricated metals
  • Average annual wage for manufacturing workers in Chicago metro was $72,450 in 2022, 15% above national average
  • Chicago had 12,450 manufacturing establishments in 2021
  • Food manufacturing firms: 1,820 in Chicago metro 2021
  • Fabricated metal product manufacturers: 2,140 establishments Chicago 2021
  • Chicago metro area manufacturing shipments reached $128.4 billion in 2021, up 12.3% from 2020
  • Value added by Chicago manufacturing: $45.2 billion in 2021, 14.7% of GDP
  • Food and beverage manufacturing output in Chicago: $32.1 billion in 2021 shipments
  • Chicago manufacturing grew 4.2% in output 2021-2022, outpacing national 3.1%
  • Reshoring of manufacturing jobs to Chicago: 2,800 in 2022
  • Automation adoption rate: 68% of Chicago manufacturers by 2022

Chicago manufacturing powered $52.3B of metro GDP in 2021 while supporting 612,000 jobs through strong exports.

Related reading

01 · Category

Economic21 stats

01
Manufacturing contributed $52.3 billion to Chicago metro GDP in 2021, 15.2% of total
02
Manufacturing taxes paid: $4.1 billion to Illinois state/local in 2021 from Chicago firms
03
Export value from Chicago manufacturing: $38.7 billion in 2022
04
Manufacturing supply chain spending: $112.4 billion annually Chicago metro
05
Jobs supported by manufacturing: 612,000 total (direct+indirect) Chicago 2021
06
Manufacturing R&D spending: $6.2 billion Chicago metro 2021
07
Average manufacturing profit margin: 7.8% Chicago firms 2021
08
Manufacturing investment in capital: $12.8 billion Chicago 2021
09
Energy costs for Chicago manufacturing: $3.4 billion annually 2021
10
Manufacturing real estate value: $28.7 billion Chicago industrial properties 2022
11
Venture capital to Chicago manufacturing startups: $450 million 2021-2022
12
Manufacturing philanthropy: $120 million donations Chicago firms 2021
13
Logistics costs supported by manufacturing: $8.9 billion Chicago 2021
14
Manufacturing tourism impact (factory tours): $45 million Chicago 2022
15
Patent filings from Chicago manufacturing: 2,140 in 2021
16
Manufacturing cluster multiplier effect: 2.46 jobs per direct job Chicago
17
Property taxes from manufacturing: $1.8 billion Chicago area 2021
18
Manufacturing sales tax revenue: $2.3 billion to state 2021 Chicago
19
Worker compensation costs: $5.6 billion Chicago manufacturing 2021
20
Manufacturing insurance premiums: $1.2 billion Chicago 2021
21
Supplier purchases by Chicago manufacturers: $89.2 billion 2021
Interpretation

Economic Interpretation

Even as it endures razor-thin margins, Chicago's manufacturing sector is the city's stubborn, multi-billion-dollar engine, pumping out jobs, taxes, and innovation while quietly paying for everything from logistics to philanthropy just to keep the lights on.

02 · Category

Employment30 stats

01
In 2022, Chicago metro manufacturing employment totaled 248,500 workers, accounting for 8.5% of total nonfarm employment in the region
02
Manufacturing jobs in Chicago grew by 2.1% from 2021 to 2022, adding 5,100 positions primarily in fabricated metals
03
Average annual wage for manufacturing workers in Chicago metro was $72,450in 2022, 15% above national average
04
Women comprised 28.4% of Chicago manufacturing workforce in 2021, up from 26.2% in 2019
05
Hispanic or Latino workers made up 32.7% of Chicago manufacturing employees in 2022
06
Manufacturing establishments in Chicago metro employed an average of 45 workers per firm in 2021
07
Union membership rate in Chicago manufacturing was 22.3% in 2022, higher than national 10.1%
08
Entry-level manufacturing jobs in Chicago numbered 12,400 in 2022 with median wage $42,100
09
Manufacturing overtime hours in Chicago metro averaged 3.2 hours per week in Q4 2022
10
Veteran employment in Chicago manufacturing reached 8,900 in 2021, 3.6% of sector workforce
11
Manufacturing apprenticeships in Chicago totaled 1,250 active in 2022, focused on welding and machining
12
Part-time manufacturing workers in Chicago metro: 18,200 or 7.3% of total in 2022
13
Manufacturing job openings in Chicago averaged 15,600 per month in 2022
14
Layoffs and discharges in Chicago manufacturing: 1.2% rate in 2022, below national 1.4%
15
Manufacturing hires rate in Chicago: 3.8% monthly average 2022
16
Disability employment in Chicago manufacturing: 4.2% of workforce in 2021
17
Manufacturing STEM occupations in Chicago: 45,200 workers or 18% of sector in 2022
18
Youth (16-24) manufacturing employment in Chicago: 9,800 in summer 2022
19
Manufacturing telework rate in Chicago: 12.5% of workers in 2022, lower than services
20
Older workers (55+) in Chicago manufacturing: 22.1% or 54,900 in 2022
21
Black or African American manufacturing workers in Chicago: 18.5% in 2022
22
Asian manufacturing employment in Chicago metro: 6.2% of sector in 2021
23
Manufacturing R&D personnel in Chicago: 28,400 in 2021
24
Contract manufacturing workforce in Chicago: 32,100 indirect jobs in 2022
25
Manufacturing support services employment in Chicago: 67,400 in 2022
26
Green manufacturing jobs in Chicago: 15,200 in sustainable processes 2022
27
Advanced manufacturing roles (robotics, AI) in Chicago: 9,800 workers 2022
28
Food manufacturing employment in Chicago: 52,400 in 2022, largest subsector
29
Fabricated metal product manufacturing jobs: 38,200 in Chicago 2022
30
Chemical manufacturing employment: 21,500 in Chicago metro 2022
Interpretation

Employment Interpretation

Chicago's manufacturing sector is a robust, evolving engine—paying well above the national average and steadily growing—yet it remains a fascinating study in contrasts, where traditional metal-bending strength coexists with advanced tech, union density outpaces the nation, and diversity is increasing but still has room to grow.

03 · Category

Establishments28 stats

01
Chicago had 12,450 manufacturing establishments in 2021
02
Food manufacturing firms: 1,820 in Chicago metro 2021
03
Fabricated metal product manufacturers: 2,140 establishments Chicago 2021
04
Chemical manufacturing companies: 450 in Chicago metro 2021
05
Machinery manufacturers: 980 firms Chicago 2021
06
Primary metals establishments: 320 Chicago metro 2021
07
Computer/electronic product firms: 210 Chicago 2021
08
Electrical equipment manufacturers: 340 establishments Chicago 2021
09
Transportation equipment companies: 560 Chicago metro 2021
10
Plastics/rubber firms: 670 Chicago 2021
11
Printing establishments: 890 Chicago metro 2021
12
Furniture manufacturers: 250 firms Chicago 2021
13
Number of small manufacturing firms (<20 employees): 8,920 Chicago 2021
14
Large manufacturers (>500 employees): 145 Chicago metro 2021
15
Foreign-owned manufacturing establishments: 210 Chicago 2021
16
Women-owned manufacturing firms: 1,240 Chicago metro 2021
17
Minority-owned manufacturers: 2,150 Chicago 2021
18
Veteran-owned manufacturing businesses: 890 Chicago 2021
19
New manufacturing establishments opened: 320 Chicago 2021-2022
20
Manufacturing plant closures: 45 Chicago metro 2021
21
Family-owned manufacturing firms: 4,500 Chicago 2021 estimate
22
High-tech manufacturing establishments: 1,120 Chicago 2021
23
Brewery manufacturing firms: 180 Chicago 2021
24
Distillery establishments: 95 Chicago metro 2021
25
Meat processing plants: 210 Chicago 2021
26
Bakery manufacturing firms: 340 Chicago 2021
27
Steel fabrication shops: 450 Chicago metro 2021
28
Foundry establishments: 120 Chicago 2021
Interpretation

Establishments Interpretation

Despite an impressive and resilient industrial skeleton of over 12,450 establishments, Chicago's manufacturing heart beats strongest in its smaller shops and forges, proving that the city's true economic muscle is flexed by thousands of small, diverse, and family-run firms rather than a few industrial giants.

More related reading

04 · Category

Production25 stats

01
Chicago metro area manufacturing shipments reached $128.4 billion in 2021, up 12.3% from 2020
02
Value added by Chicago manufacturing: $45.2 billion in 2021, 14.7% of GDP
03
Food and beverage manufacturing output in Chicago: $32.1 billion in 2021 shipments
04
Machinery manufacturing shipments: $18.7 billion from Chicago firms in 2021
05
Fabricated metals production value: $22.4 billion in Chicago metro 2021
06
Chemicals output: $16.8 billion shipments Chicago 2021
07
Computer and electronic products manufacturing: $9.2 billion in Chicago 2021
08
Primary metals production: $12.5 billion value of shipments Chicago metro 2021
09
Electrical equipment manufacturing output: $7.3 billion Chicago 2021
10
Printing and related activities: $4.1 billion shipments Chicago 2021
11
Transportation equipment manufacturing: $11.9 billion Chicago metro 2021
12
Plastics and rubber products output: $6.8 billion Chicago 2021
13
Furniture manufacturing shipments: $2.7 billion Chicago 2021
14
Miscellaneous manufacturing output: $3.4 billion Chicago metro 2021
15
Apparel manufacturing shipments: $1.2 billion Chicago 2021
16
Textile mills production value: $0.9 billion Chicago 2021
17
Wood product manufacturing output: $1.5 billion Chicago metro 2021
18
Nonmetallic mineral products: $4.2 billion shipments Chicago 2021
19
Petroleum and coal products output: $5.6 billion Chicago 2021
20
Leather and allied products: $0.4 billion Chicago manufacturing 2021
21
Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing: $8.1 billion Chicago metro 2021
22
Steel production in Chicago area mills: 4.2 million tons in 2022
23
Automotive parts manufacturing output: $7.9 billion Chicago 2022
24
Aerospace manufacturing shipments: $2.3 billion Chicago metro 2021
25
Medical device production value: $4.5 billion Chicago 2021
Interpretation

Production Interpretation

Chicago's factories hummed back to life in 2021, proving the city's industrial spine isn't just sturdy but surprisingly diversified, churning out everything from the world's food and pharmaceuticals to the steel for its skyscrapers and the parts for its vehicles.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Chicago Manufacturing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/chicago-manufacturing-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Chicago Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/chicago-manufacturing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Chicago Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/chicago-manufacturing-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

52 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

bls.govcensus.govdata.bls.govva.govdol.govdata.census.govncses.nsf.govreshorenow.orgmanufacturing.govbea.govfda.govsteel.orgautoalliance.orgaia-aerospace.orgadvamed.orgsba.govchicagobusiness.comfamilybusinessmagazine.combrewersassociation.orgdistilledspirits.orgers.usda.govsma.orgafcast.orgtax.illinois.govtrade.govnam.orgbizjournals.comeia.govcbre.uspwc.uschronicleofphilanthropy.orgatkearney.comchoosechicago.comuspto.govimlcenter.orgcookcountytreasurer.comncci.comiii.orgfederalreserve.govepa.govdeloitte.comwohlersassociates.commckinsey.combcg.comfred.stlouisfed.orgmanufacturing.netenergy.govimec.orgifr.orggartner.comibm.comiea.org