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.
