SPI Study Ranks Plastics Industry 4th Largest in US

Published: January 22, 2003, By PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC, USA—A recently released report from The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. (SPI) shows the US plastics industry employed more than 1.5 million workers nationwide in 2001. SPI also says another 850,300 individuals were employed by plastics industry upstream suppliers, which brought the employment impact to nearly 2.4 million—about two percent of the US workforce.

The 20, 562 plastics industry establishments operating in 2001 generated more than US$320 billion in shipments (including captives), finds SPI's report. Another US$89.9 billion was generated by upstream, supplying industries, bring the total annual shipments to nearly US$409 billion.

"Based on these statistics," states SPI, "plastics processing remains the nation's fourth largest manufacturing industry, following motor vehicles and equipment; eletronic components and accessories; and petroleum refining. The creation of plastics materials and synthetics ranks 15th," adds SPI.

According to SPI, the information was released in The Definition, Size, and Impact of the US Plastics Industry, a report prepared for the trade group by Probe Economics, Millwood, NY, USA. In addition to the analysis of the size and scope of the US plastics industry, adds SPI, the survey includes both state and county data on the number of companies, shipment volume, number of employees, payroll, value added expenditures, and new capital expenditures for each plastics sector (by Standard Industrial Classification code).

Cost of the report is US$290 for SPI members and US$850 for non-members. More information about the report is available by calling SPI at 800/541-0736. Visit plasticsdatasource.org for more info on this data and other statistical studies available from SPI.