What people think about American manufacturing — and what’s actually true
American manufacturing has a perception problem. The stories people tell about it are decades out of date. Here’s what the evidence actually shows:
$2.84 trillion
U.S. Manufacturing Output
Fueling U.S. Economic Growth (2023)
2,900+ Member Organizations
Driving Innovation through Collaboration
17 Manufacturing Institutes
Advancing Technology and Workforce Development in All 50 States
CHANGING PERSPECTIVES
Advanced manufacturing is one of America’s most misunderstood sectors
Ask most Americans about manufacturing and you’ll hear a familiar set of stories: factories are dirty and dangerous, jobs are dead-ends, everything moved overseas, automation is eliminating workers, and the industry has nothing to do with innovation or national security.
Every one of those stories is wrong — or at best, decades out of date. The Manufacturing USA network of 17 advanced manufacturing institutes is the evidence. Built through coordinated public-private investment across the Departments of War, Energy, and Commerce, the network has fundamentally changed what manufacturing looks like, who does it, and what it produces.
Advanced Manufacturing in the United States
Myths vs. Reality
Explore the eight myths below to uncover what is outdated, what is changing, and what the real picture looks like for advanced manufacturing in America.
MYTH 1
The Myth of the Old Factory Floor
“Manufacturing jobs are dull, dirty, and dangerous”
Historically, U.S. factories have been remembered as dark, loud factory floors with grimy machinery, physical strain, and real risks to human safety.
REALITY
Today’s factories are clean, safe, and technology-driven
MYTH 2
The Myth of the Hollowed-Out Economy
America Doesn’t Make Things Anymore”
REALITY
The U.S. is the #2 manufacturer in the world — and the mix has shifted toward high-value production
The story is familiar: factories closed, those jobs went overseas, and the U.S. stopped making things. This narrative has shaped political debates, driven economic policy, and molded public perception for two decades.