This week, our charts focus on productivity—from achieving successful transformations to advanced-manufacturing projects and more.
Roughly 63 percent of the $1 trillion in announced advanced-manufacturing investments—spanning clean technology, semiconductors, and biomanufacturing—will be located within commuting distance of rural America, compared with just 30 percent of current manufacturing jobs. This geographic shift could spark major productivity gains by connecting rural workers to tech-driven careers and, with stronger local K–12 education, could help fill the 2.1 million-worker gap that’s projected by 2030, note Senior Partner Nora Gardner and coauthors. Companies that hire and train locally can boost retention and efficiency, contributing to an estimated $20 billion from improved productivity and $34 billion in additional annual wages for rural communities.
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A horizontal bar chart shows the share of strategic-sector manufacturing investment announcements by geography from 2021 to 2024, as a percentage of total. The chart displays the commuting distance from rural communities: less than or equal to 5 miles, 5–10 miles, 10–15 miles, and greater than 15 miles. The corresponding percentages are 23%, 4%, 8%, 28%, and 37%, respectively. Sixty-three percent of investment is within commuting distance of a rural community.
Note: This image description was completed with the assistance of Writer, a gen AI tool.
Source: AAA Foundation; Brookings Institution; US Census Bureau; White House; McKinsey analysis.
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To read the article, see “Manufacturing in rural America: A plan for K–12–industry partnerships,” August 5, 2025.