At the end of 2016, about 12.3 million Americans were employed in manufacturing. A December 2016 labor figure in the available data shows 12,324,000 manufacturing employees.

Context

  • This is a seasonal monthly employment count, not a yearly average.
  • It is slightly below the roughly 12.4 million level seen around that period, which matches the broader late-2016 trend.

Quick answer

12.324 million Americans were employed in manufacturing at the end of 2016.