Manufacturing Economy Monitor

Apparel and Leather Products Manufacturing in North Carolina

Apparel and Leather Products manufacturing added $298M of value to North Carolina's economy in 2024, up 4.1% year over year. That ranks North Carolina 10th of 51 states and DC for this industry. It is 0.3% of North Carolina's manufacturing output. Nationally, apparel and leather products is a $12.3B industry (the 19th-largest of the 19 manufacturing subsectors), per the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Output and rank

  • Value added: $298M in 2024, #10 of 51 states and DC for this industry.
  • Growth: +4.1% year over year.
  • Share of North Carolina's manufacturing: 0.3% of the state's total manufacturing value added.
  • National context: apparel and leather products is a $12.3B industry nationally, #19 of the 19 manufacturing subsectors (-1.6% year over year).
  • Classification: nondurable goods manufacturing (BEA subsector 315AL).

Frequently asked questions

  • How big is the apparel and leather products industry in North Carolina? Apparel and Leather Products added $298M of value in North Carolina in 2024, ranking the state 10th of 51 for this industry, per BEA state GDP-by-industry data.
  • Is apparel and leather products growing in North Carolina? North Carolina's apparel and leather products output grew 4.1% year over year to 2024. The chart above traces the full annual series since 1997.
  • What share of North Carolina's manufacturing is apparel and leather products? Apparel and Leather Products is 0.3% of North Carolina's total manufacturing value added in 2024, per BEA state GDP-by-industry data.

About this data

  • Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (public domain). National quarterly values are seasonally adjusted annual rates. Corporate-profit industry detail reflects inventory valuation adjustment without capital consumption adjustment, per NIPA table 6.16D conventions.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.