State of Manufacturing Scorecard & Brief Reveals Great Strides and Room for Improvement
Catalyst Connection has partnered with the Allegheny Conference on Community and Economic Development. Together, we are releasing the new 2024 State of Manufacturing Scorecard and Brief.
The report shows that our regional manufacturing sector is strong. It proves that local shops can become an even larger engine for economic growth. Manufacturers are actively adding jobs with excellent wages. In fact, these plants support indirect local jobs at a rate of more than 2.5 times standard manufacturing employment.
Over the past ten years, the productivity gap between our region and the rest of the country has shrunk significantly. In the past two years, our regional difference dropped to less than 1%. The national gap is now under 10%.
Key Findings from the Scorecard
The report highlights several vital metrics for southwestern Pennsylvania:
- Top Employer: Manufacturing is the 5th-largest employment sector in the region.
- Job Growth: Plant jobs grew by nearly 4% year-over-year. This number could be even higher if shops could fill every open position.
- Deep Workforce: Local manufacturers employ almost 90,000 people.
- Metal Legacy: Driven by our industrial heritage, regional employment in fabricated metals is 4 times the national average.
- Punching Above Our Weight: The region houses more than 2,800 manufacturing sites. We rank 23rd among U.S. metro areas, beating out larger economic zones.
- Strong Wages: The average annual manufacturing wage is over $90,000. That is nearly 4% higher than the average job in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Top Manufacturing Sub-Sectors
Based on total jobs generated, five main industries lead the region:
- Fabricated metal products
- Machinery production
- Primary metal processing
- Computer and electronic products
- Food manufacturing
These classic fields represent southwestern Pennsylvania’s core strengths. Together, they account for 56% of all manufacturing jobs in the region. Meanwhile, paper, textiles, and tobacco are our fastest-growing sub-sectors, though their total employee size remains small.
Regional Export Rankings
The Pittsburgh region ranks 37th nationally for total exports. Industrial chemicals are our top exported product, making up 18.7% of all foreign trade with a value over $2 billion. Primary metals are second at $1.6 billion, accounting for 14.6% of regional exports.
Both chemical and primary metal sectors achieved a 35% year-over-year jump in export value. Looking back over five years, however, primary metals dropped 2.4% in value while chemical exports surged by 56.7%.
What the Numbers Mean
These results matter because healthy factories build high-quality communities. When a manufacturing plant grows, the entire local neighborhood prospers. Reliable, well-paying jobs lift families out of financial hardship.
Because factories have a massive economic impact, we use these data points to build performance benchmarks. We provide technical support, capital resources, and training to help small shops beat these goals.
Catalyst Connection programs offer targeted help to regional plants:
- Growth Services: Programs to boost gross regional product and sales.
- Operational Excellence: Lean manufacturing and tech deployments to drive productivity.
- Workforce Development: Active recruiting paths to hire and develop technical talent.
The Way Forward
This report hands us the evidence needed to secure state and federal funding. Catalyst Connection works closely with trade schools, community leaders, and government groups to shape smart policy investments. We are already moving fast on two main operational areas:
Organizational Development
Led by Managing Director David Rea, this team improves factory efficiency by updating corporate cultures and leadership skills. We help manufacturers improve their talent acquisition, employee training, and strategic expansion planning.
Workforce Tracking
Led by Director Scott Dietz, this wing focuses on K-12 education outreach, pre-employment training, and apprenticeship tracks. We link community colleges with factories to build stable, rewarding technical careers.
Conclusion
As the industrial landscape shifts, required worker skills change too. To help factories find the qualified help they need to stay competitive, we are building fresh partnerships with technical training providers and leadership consultants.
Catalyst Connection has proudly served regional plants for more than 35 years. We look forward to powering the growth and vibrancy of southwestern Pennsylvania manufacturing. To discover how we can work together to boost your output, contact us today!