U.S. Plastics Industry Supports Over 1 Million Jobs, Generates $533.6 Billion in Shipments

Plastic Recycling  |  2026-09-22 03:55:09   |   By

Furthermore, the report noted that plastics have outperformed overall manufacturing over nearly three decades.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The U.S. plastics industry generated $533.6 billion in shipments and supported 1.05 million jobs in 2025, according to the latest Size and Impact Report from the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS). The data highlights the continued importance of the industry to the country’s manufacturing economy.

Plastics-related activity, by including suppliers, supported approximately 1.66 million jobs and generated combined shipments of $715.8 billion.

Employment in plastics manufacturing also expanded faster during the past decade, upon comparison with the overall U.S. manufacturing industry. Between 2015 and 2025, plastics manufacturing employment increased at an average annual rate of 0.8%, compared with 0.3% for the entire manufacturing industry. Furthermore, the report noted that plastics have outperformed overall manufacturing over nearly three decades.

The industry maintained a nationwide presence, operating across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Texas led the country with 91,600 plastics manufacturing workers in 2025, followed by Ohio with 77,500 and Michigan with 69,000. Based on the latest available data, plastic products manufacturing ranked as the eighth-largest U.S. manufacturing sector by gross output.

According to the association, the sustained demand for plastics has been driven by the material’s extensive use in healthcare, transportation, food packaging, infrastructure, and industrial applications.