Manufacturing Output and Firms
Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$38.67
(Percent share of total gross state product)
18.56%
Manufacturing Firms in Kentucky (2016)
3,258
Kentucky Manufacturing Facts
Manufacturers in Kentucky account for 18.56% of the total output in the state, employing 13.04% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $38.67 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 252,000 manufacturing employees in Kentucky in 2018, with an average annual compensation of $70,477.60 in 2017.
Employment and Compensation
Manufacturing Employment (2018)
252,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
13.04%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2017)
$70,477.60
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2017)
$42,945.98
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Kentucky Export Facts
Manufacturers help to drive Kentucky’s economy, with $31.16 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2018. That same year, $12.12 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 23.50% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 79.00% percent of all exporters in Kentucky.
Manufacturing Exports
Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2018)
$31.16
(Percent share of total goods exports)
98.10%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2018)
65.90%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
134,457
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
23.50%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
79.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2018)
$12.12
(Percent of total exports, 2018)
38.17%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (NAFTA, 2018)
$9.91
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2018)
31.81%
Canada
24.57%
France
10.56%
United Kingdom
8.98%
Brazil
7.96%
Mexico
7.24%
Sources: International Trade Administration, U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 4
Additional Trade Facts
- The 20 U.S. FTA partners purchased nearly 49 percent ($679.46 billion) of U.S. manufactured goods exports in 2018 – even though these countries represent only six percent of the world’s population and 10 percent of GDP.
- FTA countries: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Singapore and South Korea.