On the eve of national Manufacturing Day, a report from National University shows manufacturing employs 94,000 in the San Diego area and contributes $1 of every $10 in the regional economy.
More than 25 local companies are offering tours of their facilities on Friday as part of the national recognition of the role of manufacturing in the U.S. economy. Among them is McCain Inc. in Vista, one of the largest suppliers of traffic signals, whose video is shown in this article.
“Manufacturing remains a vitally important part of the San Diego economy,” said Erik Bruvold, president of the National University System Institute for Policy Research and author of the report. Over all, the sector is responsible for $17.2 billion annually.
“Given its contribution of nearly $1 in $10 to the region’s gross domestic product and the dramatic growth of productivity since 2007, it isn’t surprising that the most common professions in this area demand high levels of education,” he said. “This isn’t your grandparents manufacturing sector but rather an assortment of industries which place a high premium on skills and sophisticated levels of training.”
Among the report’s findings are:
- Manufacturing employs more than 94,000 San Diegans and pays an annual average wage of $75,800
- Employment continues to shrink even while productivity goes up, indicating just how much automation and advanced manufacturing exists in the region.
- The sector is extremely diverse, with strengths in both defense (aerospace, shipbuilding) and non-defense areas (computer and electronic equipment, food processing, golf).
- The workforce is highly educated, with 52% of workers within the most common occupations in the sector holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The institute publishes regular independent research and analysis for the public on a range of topics, including unemployment, business growth, and the San Diego housing market.
