Tampa Bay boasts the second largest manufacturing employment in the state
August 25, 2021
The manufacturing industry in Tampa Bay continues to grow, boasting the second largest employment in the state and a location quotient higher than the state of Florida.
According to the Manufacturing Industry Spotlight from Chmura JobsEQ, over the past ten years ending 2020, manufacturing employment in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA added more than 8,000 jobs.
During the same time period, Tampa saw an increase of 13% or nearly 350 new businesses established. These new business formations are an important source of job creation in a regional economy, spurring innovation and competition, and driving productivity growth.
In 2020, the manufacturing industry produced $11 billion in GDP for the Tampa area, and the average annual percent change in the past 10 years was up 4.5% compared to the nation at 2.3%.
Tampa Bay’s colleges and universities continue to educate and train the workforce needed to fill important manufacturing roles:
- During the 2018-2019 academic year, nearly 1,800 degrees were awarded in postsecondary programs linked to manufacturing
- Including 1,300 from USF in Biomedical Sciences, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Industrial and Mechanical Engineering
- 132 degrees were awarded in Welding Technology from Hillsborough Community College, Pinellas Technical College and Erwin Technical College
Manufacturing has a long history in Tampa Bay, where it is a source of innovation for a wide range of industries, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
