Wood product industry statistics span a broad U.S. manufacturing classification, company-level lumber and engineered-wood operations, and product categories ranging from sawmills to prefabricated buildings. The figures below identify the geography, period, units and measurement status so that national estimates, company observations and capacity measures are not confused.
Key Wood Product Industry Statistics
The most useful headline figures are:
- In the first quarter of 2026, 16,051 private wood product manufacturing establishments operated in the United States under NAICS 321, according to a preliminary BLS QCEW estimate.
- In May 2026, average hourly earnings were $28.96 for all U.S. wood product manufacturing employees under NAICS 321, a preliminary BLS CES estimate.
- In August 2026, all U.S. wood product manufacturing employees averaged 41.2 hours per week, a preliminary BLS CES estimate.
- In August 2026, production and nonsupervisory employees averaged $25.23 per hour in U.S. wood product manufacturing, according to a preliminary BLS CES estimate.
- In May 2023, 423,390 workers were employed in U.S. wood product manufacturing, based on the BLS OEWS employer survey.
- In 2024, U.S. wood product manufacturing labor productivity fell 3.3%, measured as output per hour.
- In 2024, U.S. wood product manufacturing output fell 1.2%, while unit labor costs rose 2.7%.
- In 2024, U.S. wood product manufacturing recorded 29 fatalities, according to the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.
- In 2024, the total recordable injury and illness rate was 4.2 cases per 100 full-time workers in U.S. wood product manufacturing.
- At December 31, 2024, Weyerhaeuser had structural lumber capacity of 5,580 million board feet across 19 facilities.
- In 2024, Weyerhaeuser produced 4,404 million board feet of structural lumber.
- In 2024, Weyerhaeuser Wood Products reported $5.221 billion in net sales.
- At year-end 2024, West Fraser had lumber capacity of 6,620 million board feet across British Columbia, Alberta and the U.S. South.
- In 2024, West Fraser produced 5,344 million board feet of lumber across those regions.
- In 2024, West Fraser’s lumber segment reported $2.592 billion in sales and a $303 million operating loss.
- The 2022 Census classification lists 15 detailed wood-product manufacturing classes under U.S. NAICS 321.
Contents
- U.S. workforce, wages and establishments
- Productivity, output and workplace safety
- Weyerhaeuser capacity and production trends
- Weyerhaeuser sales by product
- West Fraser capacity, production and shipments
- Industry structure and regional scale
U.S. Wood Product Industry Workforce, Wages and Establishments
The BLS defines NAICS 321 as wood product manufacturing. It is broader than forestry and logging but does not include paper manufacturing, furniture manufacturing or every downstream woodworking activity.
The latest establishment and labor measures in the supplied BLS series are:
| Measure | Period and geography | Statistic |
|---|---|---|
| Private establishments | Q1 2026, United States, NAICS 321 | 16,051 |
| Private establishments | Q4 2025, United States, NAICS 321 | 16,090 |
| Average hourly earnings, all employees | May 2026, United States, NAICS 321 | $28.96 |
| Average weekly hours, all employees | August 2026, United States, NAICS 321 | 41.2 |
| Average hourly earnings, production and nonsupervisory employees | August 2026, United States, NAICS 321 | $25.23 |
Source: Wood Product Manufacturing: NAICS 321. The establishment count is preliminary for Q1 2026, and the monthly earnings and hours observations are preliminary BLS CES values.
The BLS OEWS industry-specific occupation table provides a different view of employment for May 2023:
- U.S. wood product manufacturing employed an estimated 423,390 workers.
- Management occupations accounted for 16,980 workers, or 4.01% of industry employment.
- Top executives accounted for 8,910 workers, or 2.10% of industry employment.
- Chief executives had a mean annual wage of $215,620; this is an occupation-specific mean, not a wage for all industry workers.
- General and operations managers numbered 8,660 and had a mean annual wage of $120,380.
- Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations and sales managers numbered 1,140 and had a mean annual wage of $134,820.
Source: May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: NAICS 321000 – Wood Product Manufacturing. These figures are employer-survey estimates for May 2023.
Wood Product Manufacturing Productivity, Output and Safety Data
Productivity statistics describe output per hour, while output and hours worked are separate measures. In 2024, all three moved downward in the BLS annual series, while unit labor costs increased.
| BLS measure | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Labor productivity, output per hour | -0.6% | -3.3% |
| Hours worked | Not supplied | -2.0% |
| Industry output | Not supplied | -1.2% |
| Unit labor costs | +9.9% | +2.7% |
Source: Wood Product Manufacturing: NAICS 321. The 2023 and 2024 figures are annual changes from the prior year where stated; the table does not infer missing 2023 values.
Workplace safety measures for the United States in 2024 include both counts and rates:
- Wood product manufacturing recorded 29 fatalities in 2024.
- The total recordable injury and illness rate was 4.2 cases per 100 full-time workers.
- Cases involving days away, job restriction or transfer occurred at a rate of 2.7 per 100 full-time workers.
- Cases involving days away from work occurred at a rate of 1.5 per 100 full-time workers.
- Cases involving job transfer or restriction occurred at a rate of 1.2 per 100 full-time workers.
The fatality figure comes from the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. The rates come from BLS Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities data and are rates rather than counts.
The BLS notes a series break beginning in 2023 for some safety data because of the NAICS 2022 classification change.
Weyerhaeuser Wood Product Capacity and Production Trends
Weyerhaeuser’s company figures show the scale of one wood-products operator, not the U.S. industry total. Its capacity measures represent normal operating conditions and product mix, so capacity should not be read as actual production.
At December 31, 2024, Weyerhaeuser reported:
| Product | Capacity | Facilities or basis |
|---|---|---|
| Structural lumber | 5,580 million board feet | 19 facilities |
| Oriented strand board | 3,150 million square feet | 3/8-inch basis; six facilities |
| Engineered solid section | 42 million cubic feet | Six facilities |
Source: Weyerhaeuser Company 2024 Annual Report and Form 10-K.
Reported production in 2024 was:
- Structural lumber: 4,404 million board feet.
- Oriented strand board: 2,920 million square feet on a 3/8-inch basis.
- Engineered solid section: 22.3 million cubic feet.
- Engineered I-joists: 147 million lineal feet.
- Softwood plywood: 314 million square feet on a 3/8-inch basis.
- Medium-density fiberboard: 138 million square feet on a 3/4-inch basis.
Earlier company-reported production provides a limited trend series:
| Product and unit | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structural lumber, million board feet | 4,666 | 4,815 | 4,513 | 4,572 | 4,404 |
| Oriented strand board, million sq. ft. at 3/8 inch | Not supplied | Not supplied | 2,961 | 2,933 | 2,920 |
| Engineered solid section, million cubic feet | Not supplied | Not supplied | Not supplied | 21.9 | 22.3 |
The supplied annual-report series does not provide every product for every year, so blank cells are not zeroes. All production figures are company-reported observations.
Weyerhaeuser Wood Product Sales by Product
Weyerhaeuser Wood Products net sales were $5.221 billion in 2024. The company segment measure includes the listed wood products and complementary building products, so it should not be treated as a complete industry revenue estimate.
The 2024 product sales breakdown was:
| Product | 2024 net sales |
|---|---|
| Structural lumber | $1.906 billion |
| Oriented strand board | $979 million |
| Engineered solid section | $708 million |
| Engineered I-joists | $390 million |
| Softwood plywood | $158 million |
| Medium-density fiberboard | $159 million |
Source: Weyerhaeuser Company 2024 Annual Report and Form 10-K.
The reported Wood Products segment sales by year were:
- 2023: $5.657 billion.
- 2022: $7.958 billion.
- 2021: $8.221 billion.
- 2020: $5.790 billion.
These are observed company segment revenues for the named years. They are not estimates of total U.S. wood product manufacturing sales, and the dataset does not provide a reason for the year-to-year changes.
West Fraser Lumber Capacity, Production and Shipments
West Fraser’s figures cover operations in British Columbia, Alberta and the U.S. South. The company’s year-end capacity is an estimate under normal operating configuration and excludes nonpermanent curtailments.
| Measure | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Year-end lumber capacity | 6,820 MMfbm | 6,620 MMfbm |
| Lumber production | 5,548 MMfbm | 5,344 MMfbm |
MMfbm means million board feet. Source: West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. 2024 Annual Information Form.
The 2024 segment table separates spruce-pine-fir and southern yellow pine:
| Lumber segment | 2024 production | 2024 shipments | 2023 production | 2023 shipments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPF | 2,799 MMfbm | 2,835 MMfbm | 2,687 MMfbm | 2,711 MMfbm |
| SYP | 2,545 MMfbm | 2,582 MMfbm | 2,860 MMfbm | 2,882 MMfbm |
Source: West Fraser Annual Report 2024. SPF and SYP are the segment labels used in the company table.
West Fraser’s lumber segment sales were $2.592 billion in 2024, including lumber, wood chips and residuals, logs and other sales. The segment reported a $303 million operating loss in 2024; this is a company-reported segment result, not an industry-wide profit measure.
Wood Product Industry Structure, Classes and Regional Scale
The U.S. Census 2022 Economic Census classification lists 15 detailed wood-product manufacturing classes under NAICS 321. This is a taxonomy count, not a count of establishments, production or revenue.
The classification identifies the following groups:
- Sawmills, MC-32110, and wood preservation, MC-32111.
- Hardwood veneer and plywood, MC-32120; softwood veneer and plywood, MC-32121; and engineered wood members, MC-32122.
- Truss manufacturing, MC-32123, and reconstituted wood product manufacturing, MC-32124.
- Cut stock, resawing and planing, MC-32191; other millwork, including flooring, MC-32192; and wood container and pallet manufacturing, MC-32193.
- Manufactured homes, MC-32194; prefabricated wood buildings, MC-32195; and other miscellaneous wood products, MC-32196.
Source: 2022 Economic Census Industry Classification: Wood Product Manufacturing.
The classification explains why a single wood product industry statistic can conceal very different activities. NAICS 321 includes primary processing, panels, engineered members, millwork, containers, pallets, manufactured homes, prefabricated buildings and miscellaneous wood products, while the BLS and company measures above cover different populations and definitions.