Okay, so there are far more than three reasons to promote American manufacturing. If I tried to list them all in this entry, we'd never get to the bottom of the list. American manufacturing is absolutely crucial to the growth and prosperity of our economy and, consequently, our livelihood. I wanted to take a look at a few statistics that accentuate America's need for more and more manufacturing to take place within our borders.
First, let's take a look at what American manufacturing already gives us. In 2012, American manufacturers contributed $1.87 trillion to our economy, accounting for almost 12% of GDP. With every dollar invested in American manufacturing, another $1.48 is added to the economy. This multiplier effect is higher than any other in the private sector This statistic alone should cause all of us scramble to the nearest industrial park to open our own operations. More investment in American manufacturing means more economic growth- regardless of what political or regulatory barriers may stand in our way. Also, more investment in manufacturing means culling even more benefits from what the industry already gives us.
1. American manufacturing pays well.
As the graph above demonstrates, Americans working in manufacturing tend to receive both higher pay and better benefits than their non-manufacturing counterparts. Manufacturers lead all private sector employers in offering worker health benefits- by a 24% margin. In 2011, the average manufacturing employee made approximately $79,000 annually, and collected 19% more in wages than their non-manufacturing counterparts.
The math here is simple- as manufacturing continues its slow resurrection in America, more and more of these high-wage positions become available to more people. Job growth is paramount right now, as our economy shakily pulls itself back up to its feet- a surge in manufacturing openings would put hard working Americans back on a path to prosperity. Speaking of hard working...
2. American manufacturing increases our overall productivity. 
The service sector is one of the fastest growing private sectors in America. As a land of consumers, it is imperative that we have a service sector to facilitate our consumption. However, as the graph above shows, the service sector has lagged far behind American manufacturing in terms of productivity growth- aside from that little hiccup in 2008, of course (let this be the first and last time someone refers to the '08 financial crisis as a 'hiccup'). This means that American manufacturing produces far more capital with its labor force than the service sector. As we invest more capital in manufacturing at home and develop more efficient and effective methods of production, we drive innovation forward and increase our standard of living through a labor force whose productivity is virtually unmatched.
3. American manufacturing promotes small business.
Now, this statistic surprised even me. By a large margin, American manufacturers are small firms, employing less than five workers in their operations. Companies like Ford no longer dominate the industrial landscape of America- it's "mom and pop" creators that are driving the manufacturing sector in a big way. This speaks to the strong entrepreneurial spirit that still is alive and well in America. These small operations collaborate to bring huge value to our economy, and start-ups spring up day after day to push innovation even further.
UNEX is proud to be a part of America's new manufacturing revolution- however small a part we may be. We do not only celebrate National Manufacturing Day on October 4, and we do not only celebrate for the week. At UNEX, it is our prerogative to make each and every day all about the growth and success of American manufacturing.
All statistics and graphs provided by the National Association of Manufacturers.