Primary Metal Manufacturing: NAICS 331

About the Primary Metal Manufacturing subsector

The primary metal manufacturing subsector is part of the manufacturing sector.

The primary metal manufacturing subsector consists of these industry groups:

• Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing: NAICS 3311
• Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel: NAICS 3312
• Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing: NAICS 3313
• Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing: NAICS 3314
• Foundries: NAICS 3315

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in primary metal manufacturing. While most data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys, information on industry unemployment comes from a national survey of households. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, the unemployment rate of those previously employed in the industry, mass layoffs, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment, Unemployment, and Layoffs

Data series	Back data	Jan. 2013	Feb. 2013	Mar. 2013	Apr. 2013
Employment (in thousands)
Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)		398.6	397.1	(P) 398.3	(P) 397.0
Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees (seasonally adjusted)		311.2	308.3	(P) 308.8	(P) 306.4
Unemployment
Unemployment rate		7.1%	9.0%	8.3%	8.5%
Layoffs
Mass layoff events		26	10	10	14
Initial claimants for unemployment benefits		2,274	1,221	907	1,519
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey, Mass Layoff Statistics)

Extended Mass Layoffs

Data series	Back data	2nd quarter 2012	3rd quarter 2012	4th quarter 2012	1st quarter 2013
Extended mass layoff events		(1) -	9	(P) 14	(P) 6
Separations		(1) -	1,117	(P) 2,446	(P) 730
Initial claimants		(1) -	1,488	(P) 2,151	(P) 1,008
Footnotes (1) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. (P) Preliminary

(Source: Mass Layoff Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data series	Employment, 2012
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	11,930
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers	17,970
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers	12,460
Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders	18,000
Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	14,340
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	18,240

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for primary metal manufacturing.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

Earnings and Hours

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in primary metal manufacturing.

Earnings and Hours of All Employees

Data series	Back data	Jan. 2013	Feb. 2013	Mar. 2013	Apr. 2013
Average hourly earnings		$24.44	$24.40	(P) $24.36	(P) $24.63
Average weekly hours		43.1	43.3	(P) 43.2	(P) 43.1
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data series	Back data	Jan. 2013	Feb. 2013	Mar. 2013	Apr. 2013
Average hourly earnings		$21.62	$21.30	(P) $21.40	(P) $21.85
Average weekly hours		43.4	44.0	(P) 43.6	(P) 43.1
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series	Wages, 2012
	Hourly		Annual
	Median	Mean	Median	Mean
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$15.34	$15.81	$31,900	$32,880
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers	$26.96	$27.91	$56,080	$58,060
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers	$17.82	$18.53	$37,060	$38,550
Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders	$18.78	$19.31	$39,070	$40,160
Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$15.83	$16.32	$32,930	$33,950
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$19.79	$19.97	$41,160	$41,530

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Work-related Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in primary metal manufacturing. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

Data series	2008	2009	2010	2011
Fatalities
Number of fatalities	41	16	17	24
Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers
Total recordable cases	7.2	6.2	6.3	6.1
Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer	4.1	3.2	3.4	3.5
Cases involving days away from work	1.8	1.5	1.6	1.8
Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction	2.3	1.8	1.8	1.7
Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

Prices

This section provides industry-specific pricing information. The producer price index measures the percentage change in prices that domestic producers receive for goods and services. The prices included in the producer price index are from the first commercial transaction. The import price index reflects the percentage change in prices paid to foreign producers for their goods and services within the U.S., while the export price index measures the percentage change in prices received by U.S. producers for goods and services sold outside the U.S.

Data series	Back data	Jan. 2013	Feb. 2013	Mar. 2013	Apr. 2013
Producer price index		(P) 203.1	(P) 202.4	(P) 201.7	(P) 200.5
Percent change from previous month		(P) 0.1%	(P) -0.3%	(P) -0.3%	(P) -0.6%
Import index		174.0	173.5	172.6	168.9
Percent change from previous month		0.5%	-0.3%	-0.5%	-2.1%
Export index		170.3	169.7	167.3	165.7
Percent change from previous month		-1.3%	-0.4%	-1.4%	-1.0%
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Producer Price Indexes, International Price Program)

Workplace Trends

This section presents data on the number of establishments in primary metal manufacturing. Also included in this section is information on productivity, presented as the rate of change in output per hour of workers in the industry.

Establishments

Data series	Back data	4th quarter 2011	1st quarter 2012	2nd quarter 2012	3rd quarter 2012
Number of establishments
Private industry		5,707	(P) 5,596	(P) 5,619	(P) 5,627
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Productivity

Data series	Back data	2008	2009	2010	2011
Labor productivity index, output per hour		120.624	105.679	124.722	122.219
Percent change from previous year		4.1	-12.4	18.0	-2.0
Labor index, total labor hours		85.898	68.936	73.518	80.625
Percent change from previous year		-4.7	-19.7	6.6	9.7
Output index		103.613	72.850	91.693	98.539
Percent change from previous year		-0.8	-29.7	25.9	7.5
Unit labor costs index		102.615	119.413	103.842	105.300
Percent change from previous year		2.8	16.4	-13.0	1.4

(Source: Productivity and Costs)

Other BLS Resources

Career Guide to Industries

See steel manufacturing in the Career Guide to Industries.

 

Data extracted on: May 22, 2013