In case you didn’t get the memo, Oct. 5 was National Manufacturing Day. Held annually on the first Friday in October, National Manufacturing Day is designed to celebrate the American manufacturing industry and the significant role it plays in the economy and job market. It’s not necessarily considered a national holiday, but it’s still an important day that recognizes and celebrates one of the country’s most vital industries.
Last year, more than 3,000 events were held on National Manufacturing Day in various states throughout the country, according to The Manufacturing Institute. Some of these events were designed to showcase manufacturing opportunities to job seekers, while others were designed to introduce manufacturing processes to local communities. Considering that 3,000 unique events were held last year, it’s safe to say that National Manufacturing Day was a success in 2017.
So, what happened for this year’s National Manufacturing Day? According to the official National Manufacturing Day website, it generated almost as many events as last year. The website claims that 2,714 were planned for this year’s National Manufacturing Day. From the East Coast to the West Coast, thousands of manufacturing companies held events on Oct. 5 to showcase their operations, attract new employees or simply educate their local community.
In addition to countless events held by manufacturing companies, the White House also released a statement on National Manufacturing Day. In the statement, the White House says that American manufacturing companies added roughly $2.2 trillion to the country’s economy. In terms of job growth, these manufacturing companies helped make 2017 one of the country’s strongest job markets in more than two decades.
The White House further explained that innovative developments in manufacturing technology, as well as artificial intelligence, is fueling the American manufacturing’s dominance in this industry. In a prepared statement, the White House said that “we acknowledge the changes that have swept across our economy, including the widespread adoption of innovative technology, advances in artificial intelligence, and the application of the internet to everyday objects and appliances. We recognize that these changes bring new challenges for our workers in a technologically advanced, increasingly dynamic world.”
The American manufacturing industry continues to grow, thanks in part to the White House’s emphasis on made-in-America products. Statistics show that more than 12 million Americans are employed in the country’s manufacturing sector. However, the industry “supports” nearly 17.5 million jobs. Where is the American manufacturing industry headed from here? All signs suggest that it will continue growing and expanding.