United States Industry Employment
Employment in industry SL.IND.EMPL.ZS
United States's industry employment was 18.91% in 2025, ranked 91st globally. This represents a 0.7% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
United States's industry employment stood at 18.91% in 2025, a decline of +0.13% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 18.92% by 2026. United States ranked 91st globally.
The United States’ share of employment in industry fell from an all‑time peak of 24.37 percent in 1991 to 18.91 percent in 2025, placing it 91st globally and marking the lowest level recorded over the 35‑year series. This decline reflects a long‑standing shift toward services and technology, a pattern echoed in peer economies such as Afghanistan (18.90 percent) and Paraguay (18.95 percent) which occupy similar positions in the ranking. The contraction in industrial jobs has been driven by automation, off‑shoring of manufacturing, and rising productivity that reduces labor input per output unit. While the United States remains a major producer of high‑value manufactured goods, the proportion of the workforce employed in factories and related sectors continues to shrink. Future movements will depend on policy choices that affect trade, investment in advanced manufacturing, and the pace of digital transformation, which could either deepen the decline or stabilize the share of industrial employment.
Data & projection
| Year | Industry Employment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 18.76% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 18.84% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 18.92% | - | - |
| 2025 | 18.91% | −0.13% | #91 |
| 2024 | 19.04% | −0.29% | #92 |
| 2023 | 19.34% | +0.06% | #95 |
| 2022 | 19.28% | +0.09% | #96 |
| 2021 | 19.18% | −0.23% | #93 |
| 2020 | 19.42% | −0.33% | #96 |
| 2019 | 19.75% | +0.05% | #100 |
| 2018 | 19.70% | +0.15% | #97 |
| 2017 | 19.56% | −0.04% | #95 |
| 2016 | 19.60% | −0.08% | #96 |
| 2015 | 19.68% | −0.16% | #95 |
| 2014 | 19.84% | +0.03% | #96 |
| 2013 | 19.80% | +0.22% | #96 |
| 2012 | 19.58% | +0.02% | #91 |
| 2011 | 19.56% | +0.07% | #91 |
Analysis
United States's industry employment was 18.91% in 2025, a decline of −0.13% from 2024. Based on trends, estimated 18.92% by 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
United States's industry employment was 18.91% in 2025. Ranked 91st globally. This represents a 0.7% decrease from the previous year.
United States's industry employment peaked at 24.37% in 1991.
The lowest industry employment in United States was 18.91% in 2025.
United States ranks 91st globally in industry employment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
United States's industry employment is projected to reach 18.92% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The industry employment of United States in 2025 was 18.91%. This ranks 91st in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_united-states_industry-employment,
title = {United States Industry Employment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/united-states/industry-employment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}