Puerto Rico’s manufacturing sector creates 7,500 new jobs Y-O-Y in Q2
Puerto Rico’s manufacturing sector created 7,538 new jobs during the second quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2022, according to the Labor Department’s Industrial Composition Report by Municipality.
The sector remains a primary economic segment and source of job creation in Puerto Rico, the agency stated.
“Manufacturing continues to be a significant component of Puerto Rico’s economy, representing 43% of the gross domestic product. When we examine the data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, we can see a significant increase in the employment levels of this sector, at a rate of 7,538 additional workers than those reported in the first quarter of 2022, for a total of 83,027,” said Labor Secretary Gabriel Maldonado-González.
Other indicators, such as the total wages paid in the industry and number of units or establishments, also indicate growth, he added, with 249 additional units for a total of 2,184.
“It shouldn’t surprise anyone, since our island has excelled in this industry for decades, and it is part of the DNA of our talent,” he said.
For the second quarter of 2023, the manufacturing sectors with the highest employment are chemical products (16,596), miscellaneous manufacturing industries (14,559), food (12,135), computers and electronic products (7,630), clothing (7,448), metal products (4,032), and electrical equipment and appliances (3,836).
Industries with less than a thousand jobs include paper (893), petroleum and coal products (777), leather and related products (752), primary materials industries (580), wood products (441), textile products except clothing (135), and textiles (23).
The municipalities with the highest average manufacturing employment are Juncos (4,641), San Juan (4,245), Añasco (3,640), Arecibo (3,534), Barceloneta (3,111), Carolina (2,941), Ponce (2,935), Caguas (2,921), Bayamón (2,431) and Guaynabo (2,394).
These 10 municipalities account for 39.5% of total employment in the manufacturing industry, according to the report.
During the second quarter of 2023, manufacturing was the second industry in terms of total wages paid, at $830.7 million, an increase of $41 million compared to the first quarter of 2022.
The sectors with the highest total wages were chemicals ($274.5 million), miscellaneous manufacturing industries ($142 million), computers and electronic products ($98 million), food ($77.4 million), and electrical equipment and appliances ($37.5 million).
Additionally, manufacturing had an average salary per worker of $10,006 per quarter, where the following sectors stand out: chemicals ($16,542), computers and electronic products ($12,846), electrical equipment and appliances ($9,768), miscellaneous manufacturing industries ($9,742), machinery ($9,640), and tobacco and beverage products ($9,345).
