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Size of the US Plastics Product Manufacturing industry

NAICS 3261, Plastics Product Manufacturing. Every figure on this page was published by a federal statistical agency and carries its source and period. Palanor does not estimate: a period the agency didn’t publish shows as missing, and a figure it withheld shows as withheld.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$253 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
569,695
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
12,441
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
7,270
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$40.5 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 569,695 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 595,4202019-Q2: 598,0652019-Q3: 590,4942019-Q4: 591,1302020-Q1: 590,5512020-Q2: 558,4322020-Q3: 566,6952020-Q4: 580,3882021-Q1: 587,5682021-Q2: 589,7202021-Q3: 591,3852021-Q4: 605,5762022-Q1: 614,9222022-Q2: 617,2092022-Q3: 611,4662022-Q4: 606,3832023-Q1: 604,9062023-Q2: 601,4632023-Q3: 595,7932023-Q4: 595,5182024-Q1: 592,4932024-Q2: 592,7812024-Q3: 586,3572024-Q4: 583,0272025-Q1: 578,1142025-Q2: 577,9982025-Q3: 571,7802025-Q4: 570,2122026-Q1: 569,695NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1569,6952022
2025-Q4570,2122022
2025-Q3571,7802022
2025-Q2577,9982022
2025-Q1578,1142022
2024-Q4583,0272022
2024-Q3586,3572022
2024-Q2592,7812022
2024-Q1592,4932022
2023-Q4595,5182022
2023-Q3595,7932022
2023-Q2601,4632022
2023-Q1604,9062022
2022-Q4606,3832022
2022-Q3611,4662022
2022-Q2617,2092022
2022-Q1614,9222022
2021-Q4605,5762017
2021-Q3591,3852017
2021-Q2589,7202017
2021-Q1587,5682017
2020-Q4580,3882017
2020-Q3566,6952017
2020-Q2558,4322017
2020-Q1590,5512017
2019-Q4591,1302017
2019-Q3590,4942017
2019-Q2598,0652017
2019-Q1595,4202017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Employment · County Business PatternsLatest 677,305 · 2023
2017: 639,3802018: 649,4652019: 655,5292020: 657,1912021: 650,7332022: 672,1052023: 677,305
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023677,305
2022672,105
2021650,733
2020657,191
2019655,529
2018649,465
2017639,380

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns · Paid employees in the pay period including March 12

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 12,441 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 11,1362019-Q2: 11,1662019-Q3: 11,2122019-Q4: 11,2302020-Q1: 11,1962020-Q2: 11,2002020-Q3: 11,2982020-Q4: 11,3442021-Q1: 11,3472021-Q2: 11,4222021-Q3: 11,5082021-Q4: 11,5482022-Q1: 11,6722022-Q2: 11,7472022-Q3: 11,8292022-Q4: 11,9062023-Q1: 11,9702023-Q2: 11,9872023-Q3: 12,0782023-Q4: 12,1562024-Q1: 12,1432024-Q2: 12,2252024-Q3: 12,2602024-Q4: 12,2662025-Q1: 12,3042025-Q2: 12,2952025-Q3: 12,3572025-Q4: 12,4212026-Q1: 12,441NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q112,4412022
2025-Q412,4212022
2025-Q312,3572022
2025-Q212,2952022
2025-Q112,3042022
2024-Q412,2662022
2024-Q312,2602022
2024-Q212,2252022
2024-Q112,1432022
2023-Q412,1562022
2023-Q312,0782022
2023-Q211,9872022
2023-Q111,9702022
2022-Q411,9062022
2022-Q311,8292022
2022-Q211,7472022
2022-Q111,6722022
2021-Q411,5482017
2021-Q311,5082017
2021-Q211,4222017
2021-Q111,3472017
2020-Q411,3442017
2020-Q311,2982017
2020-Q211,2002017
2020-Q111,1962017
2019-Q411,2302017
2019-Q311,2122017
2019-Q211,1662017
2019-Q111,1362017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 9,636 · 2023
2017: 10,3802018: 10,2252019: 10,1422020: 10,0232021: 9,7562022: 9,6732023: 9,636
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20239,636
20229,673
20219,756
202010,023
201910,142
201810,225
201710,380

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $10.2 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $8.1 billion2019-Q2: $7.8 billion2019-Q3: $7.8 billion2019-Q4: $8.4 billion2020-Q1: $8.3 billion2020-Q2: $7.2 billion2020-Q3: $7.8 billion2020-Q4: $9.2 billion2021-Q1: $8.3 billion2021-Q2: $8.4 billion2021-Q3: $8.9 billion2021-Q4: $10.5 billion2022-Q1: $9.3 billion2022-Q2: $9.4 billion2022-Q3: $9.7 billion2022-Q4: $10.4 billion2023-Q1: $10.1 billion2023-Q2: $9.5 billion2023-Q3: $9.4 billion2023-Q4: $10.6 billion2024-Q1: $10.4 billion2024-Q2: $10.0 billion2024-Q3: $9.7 billion2024-Q4: $10.3 billion2025-Q1: $10.2 billion2025-Q2: $9.8 billion2025-Q3: $9.8 billion2025-Q4: $10.5 billion2026-Q1: $10.2 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$10.2 billion2022
2025-Q4$10.5 billion2022
2025-Q3$9.8 billion2022
2025-Q2$9.8 billion2022
2025-Q1$10.2 billion2022
2024-Q4$10.3 billion2022
2024-Q3$9.7 billion2022
2024-Q2$10.0 billion2022
2024-Q1$10.4 billion2022
2023-Q4$10.6 billion2022
2023-Q3$9.4 billion2022
2023-Q2$9.5 billion2022
2023-Q1$10.1 billion2022
2022-Q4$10.4 billion2022
2022-Q3$9.7 billion2022
2022-Q2$9.4 billion2022
2022-Q1$9.3 billion2022
2021-Q4$10.5 billion2017
2021-Q3$8.9 billion2017
2021-Q2$8.4 billion2017
2021-Q1$8.3 billion2017
2020-Q4$9.2 billion2017
2020-Q3$7.8 billion2017
2020-Q2$7.2 billion2017
2020-Q1$8.3 billion2017
2019-Q4$8.4 billion2017
2019-Q3$7.8 billion2017
2019-Q2$7.8 billion2017
2019-Q1$8.1 billion2017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $40.5 billion · 2023
2017: $30.5 billion2018: $31.8 billion2019: $32.7 billion2020: $33.6 billion2021: $36.2 billion2022: $38.6 billion2023: $40.5 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$40.5 billion
2022$38.6 billion
2021$36.2 billion
2020$33.6 billion
2019$32.7 billion
2018$31.8 billion
2017$30.5 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages569,6952026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages12,4412026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$10.2 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$40.5 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns677,30520232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns9,63620232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$37.5 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census683,08820222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census9,87120222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census7,27020222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$253 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Plastics Product Manufacturing

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
32611Plastics Packaging Materials and Unlaminated Film and Sheet Manufacturing$50.5 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census99,1632026-Q1 · QCEW
32612Plastics Pipe, Pipe Fitting, and Unlaminated Profile Shape Manufacturing$27.2 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census51,8932026-Q1 · QCEW
32613Laminated Plastics Plate, Sheet (except Packaging), and Shape Manufacturing$4.7 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census19,7272026-Q1 · QCEW
32614Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing$11.8 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census26,5112026-Q1 · QCEW
32615Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing$13.2 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census37,1292026-Q1 · QCEW
32616Plastics Bottle Manufacturing$17.1 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census35,7202026-Q1 · QCEW
32619Other Plastics Product Manufacturing$129 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census299,5522026-Q1 · QCEW

Sources

Where every number comes from

Figures are in current dollars and are the agencies’ own, revised when they revise. Each program defines its universe differently (employer firms, private ownership, all establishments), so figures from different sources are not meant to add up. This page is not endorsed by the Census Bureau, BEA or BLS. The same data is in the Palanor API (/v1/industries) and the MCP (palanor_get_industry). All industries.