Hidden within every grocery store package lies a story told not in words but in staggering numbers, and the latest statistics from the U.S. meatpacking industry reveal a landscape of immense scale and profound challenges, from producing over 50 billion pounds of red meat and employing half a million workers to grappling with a serious injury rate that is the highest in private industry.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, U.S. commercial red meat production totaled 50.2 billion pounds, up 1.1% from 2021
- Beef production in the U.S. reached 27.0 billion pounds in 2022, a 1.5% increase from the previous year due to higher slaughter weights
- Pork production in the U.S. was 27.5 billion pounds in 2022, reflecting a 0.8% decline attributed to fewer hogs slaughtered
- The U.S. meatpacking employment stood at 526,500 workers in 2022
- Meat processing jobs totaled 147,100 in May 2023, with 2.1% growth YoY
- Poultry processing employed 254,900 in 2022, up 1.5%
- The U.S. meatpacking industry contributed $270 billion to GDP in 2021
- Meat and dairy exports generated $47.5 billion in revenue in 2022
- Average beef packer margin was $120 per head in 2022 peak
- The meatpacking injury rate was 5.9 cases per 100 workers in 2021, highest in private industry
- 32% of meatpacking injuries are musculoskeletal disorders in 2022
- COVID-19 infection rate in meatplants was 30x national average early 2020
- Meatpacking wastewater discharge 10 billion gallons/year U.S.
- Greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. meatpacking 250 million metric tons CO2e annually
- Water use averages 4,500 gallons per beef carcass processed
U.S. meat production grew slightly overall last year, dominated by a few large companies.
Economic Statistics
- The U.S. meatpacking industry contributed $270 billion to GDP in 2021
- Meat and dairy exports generated $47.5 billion in revenue in 2022
- Average beef packer margin was $120 per head in 2022 peak
- Pork industry economic multiplier is 2.41 per dollar spent
- Meatpacking supports 2.6 million jobs economy-wide
- Tyson Foods revenue from beef was $20.5 billion in FY2022
- JBS USA sales reached $52 billion in 2022
- Cargill meat division revenue $25 billion annually
- Smithfield pork revenue $15 billion in 2022
- U.S. beef wholesale value $110 billion in 2022
- Poultry industry market size $65 billion in 2022
- Meatpacking capital investment $4.2 billion in 2022 for expansions
- Price of live cattle averaged $145/cwt in 2022
- Hog prices hit $1.02/lb dressed weight average 2022
- Broiler prices $1.15/lb in 2022 wholesale
- Nebraska meatpacking economic impact $12 billion annually
- Iowa pork industry $7.5 billion direct impact
- Kansas beef economic output $10 billion in 2022
- Texas meatpacking contributes $20 billion to state GDP
- Fuel costs rose 25% for meatpackers in 2022, impacting margins
- Labor costs 30% of total meatpacking expenses
- Energy costs 8% of operating expenses in 2022
- Packers' oligopoly led to 20% price spread increase 2015-2022
- COVID shutdowns cost industry $1.2 billion weekly in 2020
- Export markets 25% of U.S. pork production value
Economic Statistics Interpretation
While America's $270 billion meatpacking machine feeds the nation and fattens export ledgers with billions, its powerful corporate gears—turning cattle into margins and hogs into oligopoly spreads—grind costly labor, energy, and global shocks into the very price of dinner.
Employment Statistics
- The U.S. meatpacking employment stood at 526,500 workers in 2022
- Meat processing jobs totaled 147,100 in May 2023, with 2.1% growth YoY
- Poultry processing employed 254,900 in 2022, up 1.5%
- Average hourly wage in meatpacking was $18.47 in 2022
- 62% of meatpacking workers are Hispanic or Latino as of 2021 BLS data
- Labor turnover rate in meatpacking was 85% annually pre-COVID
- 21% of meatpackers reported injuries in 2021, higher than average manufacturing
- Female workers comprise 28% of U.S. meatpacking workforce in 2022
- Immigrants make up 50% of meatpacking labor force per 2020 data
- Average tenure for meatpacking workers is 2.1 years, lowest in manufacturing
- Nebraska meatpacking employs 45,000 directly in 2022
- Iowa has 25,000 pork processing jobs, 20% of national total
- Kansas employs 20,000 in beef packing plants
- Texas meatpacking workforce is 35,000 strong in 2022
- Tyson Foods employs 142,000 in U.S. meat operations as of 2023
- JBS USA has 73,000 employees in protein production
- Cargill employs 25,000 in U.S. meatpacking
- Smithfield Foods workforce is 50,000 in U.S. pork
- Hourly production workers in slaughtering earn median $16.50/hour in 2023
- 40% of meatpacking jobs require no high school diploma per BLS 2022
- Union membership in meatpacking dropped to 15% in 2022
- Seasonal employment peaks at 10% above average in summer months
- Remote work is 0% in meatpacking vs 20% national average
- Training hours for new hires average 80 hours in large plants
- Overtime hours average 10% of total paid hours in 2022
- Youth under 25 comprise 25% of meatpacking workforce
Employment Statistics Interpretation
The American meatpacking industry is built on the hard work of a largely immigrant and Hispanic workforce who, for wages averaging under $19 an hour, endure injury rates and turnover levels far above the manufacturing norm, creating immense corporate profits from a foundation of deeply precarious labor.
Environmental Statistics
- Meatpacking wastewater discharge 10 billion gallons/year U.S.
- Greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. meatpacking 250 million metric tons CO2e annually
- Water use averages 4,500 gallons per beef carcass processed
- BOD in effluent up to 2,000 mg/L without treatment
- Methane emissions from manure lagoons 15% of total from plants
- Energy consumption 1,200 kWh per 1,000 lbs processed
- Solid waste generation 60 million tons/year from slaughter
- Nitrogen discharge 50 million lbs/year into waterways
- Phosphorus pollution 10 million lbs annually from facilities
- 70% of plants use anaerobic digesters for waste
- CO2 emissions per kg beef 99 kg in processing chain
- Refrigerant leaks contribute 5% of HFC emissions nationally
- Iowa meatplants discharge 1.2 billion gallons treated effluent yearly
- Nebraska beef plants emit 20 million tons CO2e/year
- Kansas facilities use 2 billion gallons water annually
- Texas poultry wastewater 500 million gallons treated
- Tyson reduced water use 25% to 240 million gallons/day 2022
- JBS cut GHG 20% since 2018 baseline
- Cargill water recycling 45% in meat plants
- Smithfield biogas captures 1 million MMBtu/year
Environmental Statistics Interpretation
The meatpacking industry’s staggering environmental footprint—from enough wastewater annually to fill a small sea, to emissions rivaling entire nations—reveals an inconvenient truth: the true cost of a cheap burger is measured in billions of gallons, millions of tons, and a planet-sized bill coming due.
Production Statistics
- In 2022, U.S. commercial red meat production totaled 50.2 billion pounds, up 1.1% from 2021
- Beef production in the U.S. reached 27.0 billion pounds in 2022, a 1.5% increase from the previous year due to higher slaughter weights
- Pork production in the U.S. was 27.5 billion pounds in 2022, reflecting a 0.8% decline attributed to fewer hogs slaughtered
- U.S. broiler production hit 44.2 billion pounds in 2022, up 2.3% driven by increased hatchery output
- Turkey production in the U.S. totaled 5.2 billion pounds in 2022, down 1.2% from 2021 due to avian influenza outbreaks
- U.S. veal production was 78 million pounds in 2022, a slight decrease of 0.5% linked to reduced calf supplies
- Lamb and mutton production in the U.S. reached 141 million pounds in 2022, up 2.0% from higher lamb slaughter
- Processed meat production in the U.S. grew to 22.1 billion pounds in 2021, fueled by demand for sausages and bacon
- U.S. cattle slaughter totaled 32.9 million head in 2022, up 2.4% year-over-year
- Hog slaughter in the U.S. was 131.8 million head in 2022, down 0.3% due to market adjustments
- The U.S. meatpacking industry processed 9.3 billion pounds of beef in Q1 2023
- Poultry slaughter reached 9.1 billion birds in 2022 across U.S. plants
- U.S. egg production linked to meat birds was 94 billion dozen in 2022
- Beef carcass weight averaged 879 pounds in 2022, up 1.8% from 2021
- Pork carcass weight hit 213 pounds per head in 2022, a record high
- U.S. meatpacking capacity utilization was 92% in 2022 for beef plants
- Top 4 beef packers controlled 85% of U.S. steer and heifer slaughter in 2022
- Tyson Foods processed 52 million cattle annually as of 2022
- JBS USA slaughtered 20% of U.S. fed cattle in 2021 data
- Cargill Meat Solutions handled 18 million cattle in 2022
- National Beef Packing processed 4.5 million head yearly
- U.S. exported 3.2 billion pounds of beef in 2022
- Pork exports reached 6.1 billion pounds in 2022 from U.S. plants
- Poultry exports totaled 6.8 billion pounds in 2022
- U.S. meat imports were 3.4 billion pounds in 2022, mostly beef
- Iowa hosted 30% of U.S. pork processing capacity in 2022
- Nebraska beef plants processed 40% of national steer slaughter
- Texas pork production output was 4.2 billion pounds in 2022
- Kansas meatpacking output grew 3% to 12 billion pounds in 2022
Production Statistics Interpretation
While America's appetite for processed meat grows, its farms are producing bigger but fewer animals, creating a delicately balanced—and highly consolidated—industrial ecosystem where every percentage point tells a story of scale, disease, and global demand.
Safety and Health Statistics
- The meatpacking injury rate was 5.9 cases per 100 workers in 2021, highest in private industry
- 32% of meatpacking injuries are musculoskeletal disorders in 2022
- COVID-19 infection rate in meatplants was 30x national average early 2020
- Amputation rate 27x manufacturing average at 4.2 per 10,000 in meatpacking
- Laceration injuries 42% of nonfatal cases in 2021
- Heat stress incidents rose 15% in plants without AC in 2022
- Hearing loss claims 12% of workers' comp in industry
- OSHA citations for meatpacking averaged 250 violations per inspection
- 69 meatpacking fatalities reported 2016-2020
- Ergonomic hazards cited in 80% of OSHA meatplant audits
- Line speed increases post-2019 raised injury risk by 20%
- PPE non-compliance 25% in audits, leading to fines
- Respiratory illnesses from ammonia 5x higher than average
- Slip/trip/fall incidents 18% of total injuries 2021
- Mental health claims up 40% post-COVID in workforce
- Vaccination rates 85% among workers by mid-2022
- Sick leave usage averaged 7 days/year per worker
- Nebraska plant injury rate 6.2/100 workers 2021
- Iowa OSHA recordable incidents 5.1/100 in pork plants
- Kansas beef plants averaged 4.8 injuries/100 workers
- Texas poultry processing DART rate 4.2/100
- Tyson Foods reported 1.2 billion lost workdays due to injury 2021
- JBS had 25% reduction in TRIR from 4.5 to 3.4 2018-2022
- Cargill injury rate dropped to 1.8/200k hours in 2022
- Training reduced accidents 15% in Smithfield plants
Safety and Health Statistics Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim portrait of an industry where the relentless drive for production too often treats human bodies as just another perishable commodity, grinding through workers with a shocking efficiency in injuries, illnesses, and amputations.
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