Exploring Midwest manufacturing employment from 1990 to 2019

Using data from the Current Employment Statistics program, this article explores manufacturing employment dynamics between 1990 and 2019 in the Midwest region of the United States. The article compares and contrasts employment trends for both the region as a whole and the individual states that comprise it. Additionally, the article presents an examination of selected detailed industries. For context, the article uses periods within historical business cycles to frame analysis of manufacturing employment trends. Since the peak of 19.4 million jobs in June 1979, manufacturing employment has declined throughout the United States, as both a relative share of total employment and in absolute terms. This article is one in a four-part series that uses Current Employment Statistic program data to examine long-term trends in regional manufacturing employment.1 In this article, we explore data trends in the Midwest region of the United States.