Labor Market by the Numbers
In May 2025, job openings for manufacturing increased by 22,000 to 414,000 from April, which is back to below the average pre-pandemic (2017– 2019) level of job openings of 432,000. Nondurable goods job openings in May declined by 10,000 to 125,000, while durable goods job openings rose by 32,000 to 289,000 in May.
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The Headline Number: While the number of job openings increased in manufacturing in May, job postings also rose in the larger economy to 7.8 million, an increase of 374,000 from the previous month but a decrease of 132,000 from the previous year.
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Why it matters: While manufacturing activity continued to contract in May, there was a boost to job openings, likely due to the pace of the decline slowing in May from April. Nonetheless, if activity continues to slow, the manufacturing job openings level could drop further below its pre-pandemic average since workforce needs would soften. Furthermore, this data reflects a labor market that has cooled from the uniquely tight labor market seen during the pandemic when the average number of openings in the sector was 832,500 (2021– 2023). Even as national numbers return to the pre-pandemic average, employers still face a persistent structural challenge: finding workers with the right skills. Furthermore, that top-line trend masks the conditions on the ground that continue to shift regionally and by sector.
Regional Shifts in Manufacturing: Although manufacturing job postings and employment levels have slid in recent years, certain regions of the country have seen outsized growth in manufacturing relative to the average.
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Manufacturing Hotspots: Texas, which now employs more manufacturing workers than any state except California, has seen a 10.8% increase in manufacturing employment over the last decade. In Kentucky, the manufacturing labor force has grown 7.5% in the ten years. Meanwhile, manufacturing employment in Alabama surged 12.2% over the last decade.
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FAME Advantage: The MI’s FAME USA initiative is well-positioned to meet the growing need in these hotspot states, with five chapters in Texas, eight in Kentucky and eleven in Alabama, just to name a few. As manufacturing grows in these regions, adequately expanding the pool of high-skilled talent with employers leading the way to prepare the manufacturing workforce of the future will be vital to keep pace with the increasing talent demand.
