Processing Plants Employ Majority of U.S. Food Workers

WASHINGTON, DC – In 2018, the U.S. food and beverage manufacturing sector employed more than 1.7 million people or just over 1 percent of all U.S. nonfarm employment. According to research from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), food and beverage manufacturing employees accounted for the largest share of employees (14.6 percent). In 2018, meat and poultry plants employed the largest share of workers (29.3 percent), followed by bakeries (15.5 percent), and beverage plants (12.2 percent). In thousands of food and beverage manufacturing plants located throughout the country, these employees were engaged in transforming raw agricultural materials into food products for intermediate use or final consumption. Manufacturing jobs include processing, inspecting, packing, janitorial and guard services, product development, and recordkeeping, as well as nonproduction duties such as sales, delivery, advertising, and clerical and routine office functions.