The latest employment summary from the U.S. Department of Labor finds U.S. manufacturers added 7,000 jobs in May. This follows a 2,000-job loss in April and a 15,000-job gain in March.
Meanwhile, the overall jobs report found the economy added 172,000 jobs in May and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3%. Employment gains were led by hospitality, local government, and health care.
Additionally, the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey finds that unfilled positions in U.S. manufacturing settled at 477,000 as of April 2026, compared to 459,000 unfilled positions reported for March..
Meanwhile, a more in-depth look at the data from the Labor Department finds some notable gains—and losses within specific subsectors. Let’s take a look:
U.S. Manufacturing Hiring Trends in May 2026
In May, job gains were led exclusively by durable goods, which added 17,000 jobs, while non-durable goods lost 10,000 jobs for a net gain of 7,000 industrial positions. Next, we’ll explore gains and losses in specific industry subsectors.
The Manufacturing Industries That Gained Jobs in May 2026
Manufacturing employment gains in May were led by fabricated metal products manufacturing, which added 6,700 jobs. This represents the second straight month of job gains for that industry. This was by transportation equipment, which gained 4,900 job, including a 3,600-job gain in motor vehicles and parts. Other gains included miscellaneous manufacturing (+3,000 jobs); electrical equipment (1,300 jobs); navigational instruments (+1,200); chemical manufacturing (+1,200 jobs); and machinery manufacturing (+1,100 jobs).
Marginal gains were also seen in computer & electronic product manufacturing; primary metals; and nonmetallic minerals.
The Manufacturing Sectors That Lost Jobs in May 2026
Employment losses in May were led by the plastics and rubber sector, which shed 6,100 jobs; food manufacturing, which lost 3,600; wood products, which declined by 1,900 jobs; and textile product mills, which lost 700 jobs.
Other losses were seen in furniture; apparel; semiconductors; and paper manufacturing.
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Source: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm
Editor's note: This article is updated on the first Friday of every month, based on the latest data released by the Department of Labor.