January - March, 2011
2011: International Year of Forests
As part of the 2011 International Year of the Forest, the USFS, National Association of State Foresters and the UN report that the forest products industry accounts for approximately 5 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP. Industry companies produce about $175 billion in products annually and employ nearly 900,000 men and women, exceeding employment levels in the automotive, chemicals and plastics industries. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 48 states.
14 million people are employed globally in the forestry sector which generates US $468 billion in gross value-added.
The national average economic contribution per 1,000 acres of private, working forest includes 8 jobs, $270,000 in payroll, $9,850 in state taxes (income and severance taxes only) and $733,000 in annual sales.
Source: celebrateforests.com