Machinery Manufacturing: NAICS 333

On This Page

About the Machinery Manufacturing subsector

The machinery manufacturing subsector is part of the manufacturing sector.

Industries in the Machinery Manufacturing subsector create end products that apply mechanical force, for example, the application of gears and levers, to perform work. Some important processes for the manufacture of machinery are forging, stamping, bending, forming, and machining that are used to shape individual pieces of metal. Processes, such as welding and assembling are used to join separate parts together. Although these processes are similar to those used in metal fabricating establishments, machinery manufacturing is different because it typically employs multiple metal forming processes in manufacturing the various parts of the machine. Moreover, complex assembly operations are an inherent part of the production process.

North American Industry Classification System

The machinery manufacturing subsector consists of these industry groups:

  • Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing: NAICS 3331
  • Industrial Machinery Manufacturing: NAICS 3332
  • Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing: NAICS 3333
  • Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing: NAICS 3334
  • Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing: NAICS 3335
  • Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing: NAICS 3336
  • Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing: NAICS 3339

NOTE: There was a change in the definition of this subsector between NAICS 2002 and NAICS 2007. Some of the data below reflect the 2002 definition and some reflect the 2007 definition. See the BLS implementation schedule for NAICS 2007 to find out which BLS programs have already implemented NAICS 2007.

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in machinery 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		 Oct.
2011		 Nov.
2011		 Dec.
2011		 Jan.
2012

Employment (in thousands)

  

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)
Jump to page with historical data
 1,070.4 1,076.0 (P) 1,085.5 (P) 1,096.0

Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees (seasonally adjusted)
Jump to page with historical data
 672.8 679.7 (P) 687.2 (P) 693.5

Unemployment

  

Unemployment rate
Jump to page with historical data
 8.0% 8.4% 8.1% 5.6%

Layoffs

  

Mass layoff events

Jump to page with historical data
 22 26 38  

Initial claimants for unemployment benefits

Jump to page with historical data
 3,617 3,223 5,472  

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

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

Extended Mass Layoffs

Data series Back
data		 1st quarter
2011		 2nd quarter
2011		 3rd quarter
2011		 4th quarter
2011

Extended mass layoff events
Jump to page with historical data
 17 16 (P) 16 (P) 15

Separations
Jump to page with historical data
 2,054 4,005 (P) 2,594 (P) 3,324

Initial claimants
Jump to page with historical data
 2,037 3,629 (P) 3,677 (P) 2,734

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Mass Layoff Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data series Employment,
2010

Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic

 24,800

Engine and other machine assemblers

 15,580

Machinists

 63,210

Mechanical engineers

 29,470

Team assemblers

 104,090

Tool and die makers

 19,870

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

 51,110

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Projections

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

Earnings and Hours of All Employees

Data series Back
data		 Oct.
2011		 Nov.
2011		 Dec.
2011		 Jan.
2012

Average hourly earnings
Jump to page with historical data
 $25.24 $25.35 (P) $25.29 (P) $25.34

Average weekly hours
Jump to page with historical data
 41.4 41.2 (P) 41.5 (P) 41.5

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data series Back
data		 Oct.
2011		 Nov.
2011		 Dec.
2011		 Jan.
2012

Average hourly earnings
Jump to page with historical data
 $19.74 $19.89 (P) $19.85 (P) $20.01

Average weekly hours
Jump to page with historical data
 42.9 43.0 (P) 43.1 (P) 43.1

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series Wages, 2010
Hourly Annual
Median Mean Median Mean

Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic

 $17.81 $18.20 $37,050 $37,860

Engine and other machine assemblers

 $16.15 $16.82 $33,590 $34,980

Machinists

 $18.97 $19.27 $39,450 $40,080

Mechanical engineers

 $33.29 $34.41 $69,250 $71,580

Team assemblers

 $14.38 $14.96 $29,920 $31,120

Tool and die makers

 $21.36 $22.20 $44,430 $46,180

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

 $17.03 $17.34 $35,430 $36,070

(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 machinery 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 2007 2008 2009 2010

Fatalities

  

Number of fatalities

 25 27 22 (P) 22

Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers

  

Total recordable cases

 5.8 5.6 (1) 4.3 (1) 4.4

Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer

 2.7 2.6 (1) 2.0 (1) 2.1

Cases involving days away from work

 1.3 1.2 (1) 0.9 (1) 1.0

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

 1.4 1.4 (1) 1.1 (1) 1.1

Footnotes
(1) Industry scope changed in 2009
(P) Preliminary

(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		 Sep.
2011		 Oct.
2011		 Nov.
2011		 Dec.
2011

Producer price index
Jump to page with historical data
 (P) 124.1 (P) 124.3 (P) 124.5 (P) 124.6

Percent change from previous month

   (P) 0.2% (P) 0.2% (P) 0.2% (P) 0.1%

Import index
Jump to page with historical data
 119.4 119.2 119.3 119.3

Percent change from previous month

   0.1% -0.2% 0.1% 0.0%

Export index
Jump to page with historical data
 117.6 117.6 (R) 117.9 117.9

Percent change from previous month

   0.0% 0.0% (R) 0.3% (R) 0.0%

Footnotes
(R) Revised
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Producer Price Indexes, International Price Program)

Workplace Trends

This section presents data on the number of establishments in machinery 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		 3rd quarter
2010		 4th quarter
2010		 1st quarter
2011		 2nd quarter
2011

Number of establishments

  

Private industry
Jump to page with historical data
 29,455 29,485 (P) 29,142 (P) 29,143

Local government
Jump to page with historical data
 1 1 (P) 1 (P) 1

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Productivity

Data series Back
data		 2006 2007 2008 2009

Labor productivity index, output per hour
Jump to page with historical data
 117.890 119.602 117.516 110.380

Percent change from previous year
Jump to page with historical data
 2.7 1.5 -1.7 -6.1

Labor index, total labor hours
Jump to page with historical data
 99.603 100.581 99.964 82.720

Percent change from previous year
Jump to page with historical data
 2.2 1.0 -0.6 -17.3

Output index
Jump to page with historical data
 117.422 120.297 117.474 91.307

Percent change from previous year
Jump to page with historical data
 5.0 2.4 -2.3 -22.3

Unit labor costs index
Jump to page with historical data
 91.792 96.702 99.783 110.855

Percent change from previous year
Jump to page with historical data
 -0.4 5.3 3.2 11.1

(Source: Productivity and Costs)

Other BLS Resources

Career Guide to Industries

See machinery manufacturing in the Career Guide to Industries.

 

Data extracted on: February 10, 2012