U.S. Food Manufacturing Employment Hits Record 1.77 Million in 2025 as Workforce Share Shrinks
Updated
Updated · ttownmedia.com · Aug 4
U.S. Food Manufacturing Employment Hits Record 1.77 Million in 2025 as Workforce Share Shrinks
3 articles · Updated · ttownmedia.com · Aug 4
Summary
U.S. food manufacturing employed 1,774,702 workers in 2025, up 11% from 1,600,921 in 2020 and above the pre-pandemic 1.63 million in 2019.
11.4 food-manufacturing workers per 1,000 U.S. employees in 2025 marked a long-term decline from 14.0 in 1990, as faster job growth elsewhere and labor-saving automation reduced the sector's workforce share.
556,070 jobs in animal slaughtering and processing made it the largest food-manufacturing employer, while bakeries and tortilla manufacturing had the most facilities at 16,081 and employed 346,864 workers.
Nebraska led states by concentration with 41.0 food-manufacturing workers per 1,000 employees, while Dodge City, Kansas, topped metro areas at 170.3; California had the most total workers at 166,772.
42,971 establishments nationwide underscore the sector's continued weight in the Heartland and in smaller processing hubs that anchor local economies and grocery supply chains.
If U.S. food manufacturing jobs are at an all-time high, why are major Heartland processing plants suddenly shutting their doors?
Despite hitting record employment in 2025, could looming FDA traceability mandates and rapid automation quietly trigger a massive collapse for smaller food manufacturers?
Will the frantic race to replace human workers with automated systems ultimately save the food supply chain or make it more vulnerable?