by Ceci Grover, on Apr 9, 2025 7:00:00 AM
Keeping a pulse on project activity is critical for companies considering a site selection strategy, whether expanding a current facility or building a new one. It plays a role in deciding proximity to nearby operations, crafting hiring strategies, and determining potential eligibility for incentives. Site Selection Group, a location advisory firm, keeps a close tab on project announcement data because it can play a critical role in companies’ site selection decisions to locate in areas with a lot of recent activity, growth, and clustering, or to avoid those areas because they come with added competition.
Despite the attention-grabbing mega-projects that continue to make headlines, the average job creation per manufacturing project across all manufacturing deals announced in the U.S. over the last two years was 131 jobs. But that’s just one statistic. It is important to know how that figure varies by industry sector and investing country, and the capital investment that goes along with it.
Manufacturing project announcements
The table below shows the job creation breakdown for the nearly 9,800 manufacturing projects announced over the last two years, as reported by Conway Analytics. Of the projects that reported job creation figures, the majority fell into the “Less than 50 jobs” category. While a large number of announced projects report hiring more than a thousand workers, we know that many of these projects are reporting long-term “optimistic” hiring plans.
Jobs Created |
Count of Projects |
Percentage |
| Not Reported | 3,946 | 40.40% |
| Less than 50 Jobs | 2,763 | 28.30% |
| 50 to 100 Jobs | 822 | 8.40% |
| 100 to 200 Jobs | 626 | 6.40% |
| 200 to 500 Jobs | 482 | 4.90% |
| 500 to 1,000 Jobs | 129 | 1.30% |
| More than 1,000 jobs | 1,001 | 10.20% |
Source: Conway Analytics
Manufacturing project announcements by sector
As shown in the table below, job creation and capital investment can vary significantly by sector. The most active sectors in terms of count of projects were not the highest in job creation or capital investment. For example, while there have been many Machinery and Food & Beverage announcements, the average project is moderately sized, hiring around 100 workers and investing between $30 million - $55 million.
Sector |
Count of Projects |
Avg # of Jobs Created |
Average Investment (Million USD) |
| Machinery, Equip. & Const. | 1,517 | 82 | $32 mm |
| Food & Beverage | 1,333 | 98 | 55 |
| Chemicals & Plastics | 1,217 | 87 | 183 |
| Metals | 993 | 81 | 68 |
| Life Sciences | 851 | 147 | 141 |
| Electronics | 781 | 377 | 726 |
| Automotive | 679 | 207 | 126 |
| Consumer Products | 469 | 71 | 27 |
| Wood Products | 416 | 87 | 35 |
| Aerospace | 360 | 156 | 62 |
| Paper, Printing & Packaging | 326 | 66 | 51 |
| IT & Comm. | 267 | 161 | 46 |
| Textiles | 210 | 79 | 17 |
| Energy | 119 | 131 | 602 |
| Minerals | 111 | 95 | 95 |
| Transport & Logistics | 110 | 207 | 33 |
Source: Conway Analytics
Manufacturing project announcements — domestic vs. foreign investment
Taking it one step further, we wanted to see if the investing country (domestic or foreign) had a measurable impact on average job creation and capital investment.
When considering U.S. project announcements that came from a domestic company, the average number of jobs created dropped to 115 (compared to the average of 134 across both domestic and foreign projects). That is nearly a 15% difference.
Foreign or Domestic Investment |
Count of Projects |
Avg # of Jobs Created |
Average Investment (Million USD) |
| Foreign | 980 | 263 | 305 |
| Domestic | 8,778 | 115 | 120 |
| Total (Foreign & Domestic) | 9,758 | 131 | 138 |
Source: Conway Analytics
Market-specific project activity
The interactive map below shows 2022-2024 Manufacturing Project Announcements by market, with bubbles colored by industry sector. Please note that the “Sector” dropdown can be used to filter by industry and the “Bubble Sizer” dropdown can be used to view the impact by job creation or capital investment.
Source: Conway Analytics
Looking forward
In short, project activity is ever changing and 2025 is expected to bring even more changes to the nature of industrial projects. As we see automation and more advanced manufacturing processes come into play, headcount numbers may start to decrease across the board, or the impact may be felt on a more industry-specific basis, and with that may come increased capital investment.
Ever-changing political dynamics may also have an impact on future project announcements. Finally, it is essential to dig further into the data. Just because a project is “announced” does not necessarily mean it will reach completion or operation. While this type of data is useful, it is critically important to work with trusted advisors and knowledgeable economic development partners who can help you distinguish between which projects are “real” and which ones are “fake.”
Keeping an eye on project activity can help companies make more informed location decisions and ensure long-term success in the community they choose to locate in.
