While the iconic skyline might suggest otherwise, the humming factories, specialized workshops, and innovative labs of New York City's surprisingly resilient manufacturing sector—employing over 11,000 New Yorkers in fields from high-fashion apparel to precision metals and craft food—form a vital, $12.5 billion economic engine rooted in diversity, adaptability, and modern urban production.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, New York City had 11,200 manufacturing jobs, representing 0.6% of total private employment
- The manufacturing sector in NYC employed 12,500 workers in 2021, a 2.1% increase from 2020
- Apparel manufacturing in NYC had 4,200 jobs in 2021, accounting for 35% of total manufacturing employment
- NYC manufacturing shipments totaled $12.5 billion in 2021
- Value of shipments per employee in NYC manufacturing was $1.1 million in 2021
- Apparel manufacturing output in NYC reached $3.2 billion in 2021
- NYC manufacturing GDP contribution was $8.7 billion in 2021
- Total revenue for NYC manufacturing firms was $15.2 billion in 2021
- Apparel manufacturing revenue in NYC totaled $4.1 billion in 2022
- Food manufacturing in NYC includes 450 bakeries producing 1.2 million loaves daily
- Apparel segment has 1,200 fashion manufacturers specializing in high-end garments
- Printing industry in NYC features 800 digital printing firms
- NYC manufacturing employment grew 5% from 2018 to 2023
- Apparel manufacturing jobs increased 8% year-over-year in 2022
- Food manufacturing output rose 4.2% in NYC from 2020-2022
New York City's tiny yet thriving manufacturing industry remains a specialized local business.
Economic Impact and Revenue
- NYC manufacturing GDP contribution was $8.7 billion in 2021
- Total revenue for NYC manufacturing firms was $15.2 billion in 2021
- Apparel manufacturing revenue in NYC totaled $4.1 billion in 2022
- Food manufacturing generated $3.5 billion in revenue NYC 2021
- Printing industry revenue in NYC was $1.8 billion in 2022
- Chemical manufacturing revenue reached $1.4 billion in NYC 2021
- Fabricated metal revenue in NYC manufacturing was $1.1 billion 2022
- Machinery revenue totaled $800 million in NYC 2021
- Electrical equipment revenue was $550 million NYC 2022
- Transportation equipment revenue hit $400 million in 2021
- Furniture manufacturing revenue was $500 million NYC 2022
- Miscellaneous manufacturing revenue totaled $900 million in 2021
- Property taxes paid by NYC manufacturing firms were $250 million in 2022
- Sales taxes from manufacturing in NYC amounted to $180 million 2021
- Manufacturing multiplier effect on NYC economy was 2.5x in 2022
- Induced economic impact from manufacturing wages was $3.2 billion 2021
- Venture capital invested in NYC manufacturing startups was $120 million 2022
- Bank loans to NYC manufacturing firms totaled $2.8 billion in 2021
- Manufacturing payroll taxes contributed $450 million to NYC in 2022
- Cost of goods sold for NYC manufacturing was 65% of revenue in 2021
- Gross profit margin in NYC manufacturing averaged 22% in 2022
- Return on assets for NYC manufacturing firms was 8.5% 2021
- EBITDA margin in apparel manufacturing NYC was 12% in 2022
- Total assets of NYC manufacturing companies summed $10.5 billion 2021
- Equity financing raised by NYC manufacturing was $85 million 2022
- Food manufacturing subsector contributed 28% to total manufacturing revenue NYC 2021
- Printing contributed 15% to NYC manufacturing GDP in 2022
- Apparel was 32% of manufacturing revenue in NYC 2021
- Chemicals accounted for 11% of revenue share in 2022
- Metals fabrication revenue share was 9% in NYC manufacturing 2021
Economic Impact and Revenue Interpretation
While New York's factories might not dominate the skyline, their $8.7 billion GDP punch proves they're still the city's essential, profit-turning tailors, bakers, and makers, weaving a surprisingly sturdy economic fabric worth billions in taxes and wages.
Employment Statistics
- In 2022, New York City had 11,200 manufacturing jobs, representing 0.6% of total private employment
- The manufacturing sector in NYC employed 12,500 workers in 2021, a 2.1% increase from 2020
- Apparel manufacturing in NYC had 4,200 jobs in 2021, accounting for 35% of total manufacturing employment
- Food manufacturing employment in NYC stood at 2,800 jobs in 2022
- Printing and related support activities employed 1,500 workers in NYC in 2021
- Chemical manufacturing jobs in NYC numbered 900 in 2022
- Fabricated metal product manufacturing had 1,200 jobs in NYC metro area in 2021
- Machinery manufacturing employment in NYC was 650 in 2022
- Electrical equipment manufacturing jobs totaled 450 in NYC in 2021
- Transportation equipment manufacturing had 300 jobs in NYC in 2022
- Furniture and related product manufacturing employed 550 workers in NYC in 2021
- Miscellaneous manufacturing jobs in NYC reached 850 in 2022
- Women comprised 42% of NYC manufacturing workforce in 2021
- Average annual wage in NYC manufacturing was $68,400 in 2022
- 28% of NYC manufacturing workers were Hispanic or Latino in 2021
- Black or African American workers made up 22% of NYC manufacturing employment in 2022
- Asian workers represented 18% of the sector in NYC in 2021
- NYC manufacturing establishments numbered 5,200 in 2021
- Average establishment size in NYC manufacturing was 2.2 employees in 2022
- 15% of NYC manufacturing firms were minority-owned in 2021
- Veteran-owned manufacturing businesses in NYC totaled 450 in 2022
- Union membership in NYC manufacturing was 18% in 2021
- Part-time manufacturing workers in NYC were 12% of total in 2022
- Manufacturing jobs in Brooklyn NYC numbered 4,100 in 2021
- Queens NYC manufacturing employment was 3,500 in 2022
- Bronx manufacturing jobs totaled 1,200 in 2021
- Manhattan had 2,400 manufacturing jobs in 2022
- Staten Island manufacturing employment was 300 in 2021
- NYC manufacturing unemployment rate was 4.5% in 2022
- New hires in NYC manufacturing averaged 1,200 per quarter in 2021
Employment Statistics Interpretation
Despite being statistically dwarfed by other sectors and operating with an average shop size smaller than a pickup truck's crew cab, New York City's manufacturing industry is a stubbornly chic and diverse ecosystem where fashion stitches together over a third of the jobs, proving the city still makes tangible things—occasionally even a profit.
Industry Segments and Types
- Food manufacturing in NYC includes 450 bakeries producing 1.2 million loaves daily
- Apparel segment has 1,200 fashion manufacturers specializing in high-end garments
- Printing industry in NYC features 800 digital printing firms
- Chemical manufacturing includes 150 firms producing cosmetics worth $800 million
- Fabricated metal products segment has 650 shops focusing on precision parts
- Machinery manufacturing comprises 300 firms making industrial equipment
- Electrical equipment segment includes 200 assemblers of lighting products
- Transportation equipment has 150 bike and small vehicle makers
- Furniture segment features 400 custom woodworkers and upholsterers
- Miscellaneous manufacturing includes 550 toy and novelty producers
- Beverage manufacturing in food segment produced 50 million gallons of craft beer 2021
- Confectionery firms in NYC number 120, producing $500 million chocolate
- Seafood processing plants in NYC total 80, handling 200,000 tons annually
- Textile mills in apparel segment operate 250 facilities for fabrics
- Leather goods manufacturing has 100 tanneries and accessory makers
- Jewelry manufacturing in NYC employs 1,000 goldsmiths in diamond district
- Packaging printing firms number 400 in NYC
- Pharmaceutical compounding labs in chemicals: 90 firms
- Plastic product extruders: 350 companies in NYC metals/plastics
- Medical device assemblers: 120 in electrical segment NYC
- Aerospace parts fabricators: 50 specialized firms
- Sign manufacturing shops: 300 in miscellaneous
- Brooklyn has 60% of NYC's food manufacturing firms
- Queens hosts 40% of apparel manufacturers
- Manhattan dominates printing with 55% of firms
- Bronx specializes in metal fabrication with 70% share
- Staten Island has niche boat manufacturing firms: 20
- Organic food producers in NYC: 200 firms growing 15% yearly
- Sustainable apparel makers: 150 using recycled materials
- Digital fabrication labs: 100 in printing segment
Industry Segments and Types Interpretation
From bagels to bikes, gold rings to gowns, and beer to bespoke furniture, New York City’s manufacturing heart beats not in belching smokestacks but in thousands of specialized, scrappy, and surprisingly sustainable workshops that prove the five boroughs still make things with their hands—and a hefty dose of style.
Production and Output
- NYC manufacturing shipments totaled $12.5 billion in 2021
- Value of shipments per employee in NYC manufacturing was $1.1 million in 2021
- Apparel manufacturing output in NYC reached $3.2 billion in 2021
- Food product manufacturing shipments were $2.8 billion in NYC 2021
- Printing output value in NYC was $1.5 billion in 2022
- Chemical products manufactured in NYC totaled $1.2 billion in value 2021
- Fabricated metal products output was $900 million in NYC 2022
- Machinery production value in NYC manufacturing hit $650 million in 2021
- Electrical equipment output reached $450 million in NYC 2022
- Transportation equipment manufacturing output was $300 million in 2021
- Furniture manufacturing shipments totaled $400 million in NYC 2022
- Miscellaneous manufacturing output value was $700 million in 2021
- Total new manufacturing orders in NYC averaged $1.0 billion monthly in 2022
- Inventories in NYC manufacturing stood at $2.1 billion in 2021
- Capacity utilization in NYC manufacturing was 78% in 2022
- Export value from NYC manufacturing was $4.5 billion in 2021
- Import competition affected 25% of NYC manufacturing output in 2022
- Productivity growth in NYC manufacturing was 1.2% annually 2017-2021
- Energy consumption for NYC manufacturing was 1.2 billion kWh in 2021
- Water usage in NYC manufacturing totaled 500 million gallons daily in 2022
- Waste generated by NYC manufacturing was 120,000 tons in 2021
- Recycling rate in NYC manufacturing reached 65% in 2022
- R&D expenditure in NYC manufacturing was $450 million in 2021
- Patents issued to NYC manufacturing firms numbered 250 in 2022
- Production hours worked in NYC manufacturing averaged 18 million annually 2021
- Unit labor costs in NYC manufacturing rose 3.1% in 2022
- Multi-factor productivity in NYC manufacturing grew 0.8% 2021
- Output per hour in food manufacturing NYC was $150,000 in 2022
Production and Output Interpretation
New York's factories are impressively efficient, making $1.1 million per worker, but they’re sweating it out on a 78% utilized treadmill of rising costs, import pressure, and incremental productivity gains just to dress, feed, and supply the city.
Trends and Growth
- NYC manufacturing employment grew 5% from 2018 to 2023
- Apparel manufacturing jobs increased 8% year-over-year in 2022
- Food manufacturing output rose 4.2% in NYC from 2020-2022
- Printing employment declined 3% annually 2019-2022
- Chemical manufacturing revenue grew 6.5% in 2022 NYC
- Fabricated metals jobs up 2.8% post-COVID in NYC 2021-2023
- Machinery production increased 7% with reshoring 2022
- Electrical equipment firms expanded 10% in NYC 2021-2022
- Furniture manufacturing rebounded 12% in sales 2022
- Miscellaneous manufacturing grew 4% in establishments 2021-2023
- Automation adoption in NYC manufacturing reached 35% of firms by 2023
- Sustainability investments up 20% in NYC manufacturing 2022
- E-commerce integration boosted manufacturing sales 15% 2021-2022
- Supply chain localization reduced imports by 10% in 2023 NYC
- Workforce training programs enrolled 5,000 manufacturing workers 2022
- Startups in advanced manufacturing numbered 50 new in NYC 2022
- Export growth for NYC manufacturing was 9% in 2022
- Pandemic recovery saw 18% output surge in food segment 2021
- Remote work impact reduced on-site manufacturing jobs by 5% 2020-2022
- Inflation adjusted wages rose 4.1% in NYC manufacturing 2022
- Brooklyn manufacturing square footage grew 6% with new spaces 2023
- Queens industrial vacancy for manufacturing fell to 7% in 2022
- Investment in green manufacturing tech hit $200 million 2022 NYC
- Diversity in manufacturing leadership increased to 25% women 2023
- Projected manufacturing jobs growth 3% annually to 2030 NYC
Trends and Growth Interpretation
New York City's manufacturing heart is still beating, albeit now in steel-toed boots that are just as likely to be stepping over the corpse of a printing press as they are marching toward a future of circuit boards, carbon neutrality, and locally-sourced pickles.
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