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24 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 19, 2026 FOCUS | MANUFACTURING How manufacturing shapes Connecticut's economy Manufacturing was the largest contributor to Connecticut's economic growth in the second quarter of 2026, adding 1.1 percentage points to the state's 3% annualized GDP growth rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. That performance underscores the sector's role in Connecticut's economy, with manufacturing output growing over the past decade. Here's a snapshot of the industry's economic footprint, using data from the Connecticut Business & Industry Association's 2026 Connecticut Manufacturing Report, which was published earlier this month. Aerospace, shipbuilding/ other transportation equipment Chemicals Fabricated metal products Machinery Food, beverage & tobacco products Computers & electronic products Electrical equipment, appliances & components Paper Plastics & rubber products Printing & related support 35 30 25 0 0 5 10 10 20 15 20 $18.66B $5.57B $3.72B $2.14B $1.94B $1.68B $1.55B $772M $711M $480M Northeastern Connecticut Southeastern Connecticut Lower Connecticut River Valley Northwest Hills Greater Bridgeport Naugatuck Valley Capitol South Central Connecticut Western Connecticut 19.3% 16.6% 12% 11.4% 11.4% 10.8% 9.2% 7% 4.7% 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2025 $29.75 $27.06 $28.37 $31.43 $33.09 $32.50 $32.49 $32.90 $33.62 $34.29 $34.90 Output rises over a decade Manufacturing contributed $34.9 billion to Connecticut's economy in 2025, up about 17% from 2015 after adjusting for inflation. That figure measures the value manufacturers added through production, after subtracting the cost of materials and other inputs. Manufacturing's share of local jobs The chart shows the percentage of all jobs in each region of the state that are in manufacturing. Manufacturing's share ranges from 19.3% in northeastern Connecticut to 4.7% in western Connecticut. In northeastern Connecticut, that means nearly one in five jobs is in manufacturing. Connecticut's top manufacturing sectors The data shows which manufacturing industries contribute the most to Connecticut's economy. Aerospace, shipbuilding and other trans- portation equipment manufacturers together contributed $18.66 billion in 2024, followed by chemical manufacturers at $5.57 billion. CT manufacturing real GDP (in billions of dollars) Source: 2026 CBIA Connecticut Manufacturing Report using U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. Census Bureau data. Source: 2026 CBIA Connecticut Manufacturing Report using BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data. Source: 2026 CBIA Connecticut Manufacturing Report using U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data.