U.S. Cities & States With the Most Food Manufacturing Jobs
U.S. food manufacturing reached a record 1.77 million workers in 2025, yet the industry now accounts for a smaller share of the nation's workforce than it did decades ago. Despite this long-term decline in employment concentration, food manufacturing remains one of America's largest manufacturing sectors, supplying the grocery staples that households rely on every day. Every loaf of bread, carton of milk, package of frozen vegetables, and box of cereal passes through a manufacturing facility where raw agricultural commodities are transformed into finished products. In addition to stocking supermarket shelves, the industry adds value to American agriculture, supports extensive transportation, packaging, warehousing, and equipment supply networks, and provides stable employment in communities across the country.
