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Society of the Plastics Industry Economic Report
About the SPIER Report
The Society of the Plastics Industry Economic Report relies on thorough analysis of government data to determine the most accurate and defensible measurements of the U.S. plastics industry. Data are presented by industry segment as well as by state. Major findings of the report include:

  • In 1999, the plastics industry provided 1,525,600 jobs in the United States.
  • Plastics industry shipments in 1999 totaled $304 billion.
  • When upstream, supplier industries are included, the impact of the U.S. plastics industry grows to 2,444,000 jobs and $393 billion in shipments.
  • Plastics manufacturing generated $188,919 in shipments per employee, demonstrating improving productivity and competitiveness with other manufacturing industries.
  • Plastics manufacturing is an increasingly global industry.

Plastics Shipments in the USA
U.S. shipments of plastics—shipments directly generated by producers of plastics raw materials, product manufacturers, machinery companies, moldmakers, wholesale distributors and plastic processors—totaled $304 billion in 1999, a 35 percent increase since 1994. Including upstream, supplier industries, shipments increase to $392.7 billion. Plastics products in 1999 ranked fourth among the top manufacturing industry groups in shipments—only behind motor vehicles, petroleum refining and electronic components and accessories. Plastics shipments, corrected for inflation, grew at a 6.2 percent annual rate in the past 10 years.

U.S. plastics industry shipments have grown 50 percent since 1991.

Plastics are consumed in many different ways and are an important part of the consumable goods used throughout the U.S. economy. Transportation, food packaging and electrical appliances are the industry sectors that incorporate the greatest amount of plastics into final goods and products for consumers.

DISTRIBUTION OF PLASTICS PRODUCTS TO NAICS CATEGORIES
OF FINAL DEMAND, 1999
Distribution of Plastics Products
 
Plastics Industry Employment in the USA
U.S. manufacturers of plastics raw materials, products, machinery and molds employed more than 1.5 million workers in 1999. When upstream, supplying industries—industries that provide feedstocks, spare parts and other related services—are taken into account, the number of plastics industry employees rises to 2.4 million.
International Job Growth
 
International Trade
Of the six major thermoplastic resins, 114 million metric tons were consumed worldwide in 1999. This is a 19.2 percent increase in consumption since 1996. The annual growth rate in resin consumption from 1989-1999 was 5.6 percent, compared to a world GDP growth rate of about 3 percent.
WORLD CONSUMPTION OF SELECTED
THERMOPLASTICS, 1999
World Consumption of Selected Thermoplastics, 1999
 
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The data compiled in this report was derived from government sources.
SPI and Plastics News are not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the data.

 
 
 

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