Detroit now ranks second nationally for year-over-year job growth in the manufacturing sector, according to a study released Wednesday by the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution. That's a significant leap from just a few years ago — between 2000 and 2010, the Detroit area ranked 99th among the largest metro areas around the country. Between the first quarter of 2010 and the fourth quarter of 2011, manufacturing jobs rose 12.1 percent in Detroit, Livonia and Warren.
Brookings, a public policy nonprofit, found that the Detroit area now has about 188,000 manufacturing jobs, ranking sixth in the country.
The average manufacturing wage is $67,804, with about 50 employees at each plant.
Despite overall increases, the Detroit area still has a low volume of high-tech manufacturing jobs — including pharmaceutical, computer and aerospace parts manufacturing. In that category, the region ranks 93rd nationally.
The main industries locally are motor vehicles and parts (39.2 percent), fabricated metals (14.8 percent) and machinery (13.2 percent).
