Industry: Paper Products
- Overview
- Careers in this Industry
- Working in the Industry
- Businesses in this Industry
- Employment
- Industry Sectors
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Employment
Employment
This is a very small industry. Nationwide, about 392,855 people work in this industry. In Minnesota it is a small industry with about 10,979 workers.
Wages
Wages in this industry are higher than average.
Employment in this industry is expected to decline. The outlook depends on markets, costs of production, and automation. Materials and labor are cheaper in southern states. When costs go up and prices go down, mills close.
Some mills re-open under new ownership after labor contracts expire. Mill owners invest in new technology as a way to cut labor costs. When machines do the work, mills produce more with fewer employees. Some mills can remain open by changing the products they make. Others move their operations to locations where materials, labor, and transportation cost less.
Paper manufacturers seek locations near highway, rail, or water transportation. They need to be near water, power, and waste treatment. Paper mills locate near their suppliers of wood chips.
About three-fourths of Minnesota's paper products jobs are located in the Twin Cities. Most other jobs are in northeastern Minnesota. Several large paper manufacturing companies are located in Minnesota.
Nationally, the leading states in this industry are Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, and Ohio.
Most pulp mill jobs are in Georgia. Most paper mill jobs are in Wisconsin and Maine. For jobs in converted paper products, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ohio lead the nation.
