Madison, St. Clair Counties among Top Areas for Manufacturing Employment in Illinois
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) continued its “Manufacturing Matters Illinois” campaign by highlighting the industry’s important role in Madison and St. Clair Counties, which are among the top 15 counties in the state for manufacturing employment.
In all, manufacturing supports more than 39,700 jobs in Madison and St. Clair Counties, generating more than $11 billion in economic output. The findings are part of a larger economic analysis detailing the importance of manufacturing in Illinois’ economy.
The analysis found the manufacturing industry in Illinois generates $304.8 billion in output each year, which amounts to 12 percent of the Gross State Product – the single largest contribution by any industry. Statewide, manufacturers directly employ 592,200 women and men. These are good paying, middle-class jobs with an average salary of $88,691, providing a total of $52 billion in wages and benefits across Illinois.
“As the state’s largest economic engine, Illinois manufacturers feed the world, make life-saving products, power our jobs and businesses, build our infrastructure, transport people and products around the globe, and provide for our nation’s defense,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Manufacturing makes the world a better place to live every single day and is integral to the story of Illinois and the United States.”
In Madison County, manufacturing provides jobs for 25,900 women and men — the 10th largest concentration of manufacturing jobs in Illinois. On average, manufacturing workers in the county earn an average income of $95,500 a year. In all, the industry generates $8.8 billion in economic output in Madison County, contributing almost 22 percent of the county’s Gross Domestic Product. The major manufacturing industries in Madison County involve production of petroleum, coal and metal products.
In St. Clair County, manufacturing supports more than 13,800 jobs—the 14th largest concentration of manufacturing employment in Illinois. Manufacturing generate almost $3 billion in economic output in St. Clair County, representing 7 percent of the county’s Gross Domestic Product.
“Manufacturing is the solution to many of the challenges facing our state if the right policies are put into place,” Denzler added. “Our elected leaders should choose policies that will build upon our best-in-class workforce and create a pipeline of qualified workers for the future. Let’s create a better Illinois that is the best place to invest, the best place to innovate, and the best place from which to export.”
The analysis was conducted by the Center for Manufacturing Research in partnership with INFORUM, Interindustry Forecasting at the University of Maryland. For more information, including a full copy of the report, please visit https://ima-net.org/2019economicanalysis/
About the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA)
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois. The IMA is the oldest and largest state manufacturing trade association in the United States, representing nearly 4,000 companies and facilities.
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