Glass Industry Analysis Brief

The glass industry is an integral part of the American economy and everyday life. Glass is uded in a myriad of consumer products ranging from food and beverage packaging, lighting products for homes and businesses, automobile windshields, and windows in buildings to insulation for buildings, fiber optics for communications, and tubes for televisions.

The U.S. glass industry is a $28 billion enterprise with both large producers and small firms playing pivotal roles in the industry. While most sectors of the glass industry have restructured and consolidated in the past twenty years, the industry still employs over 143,000 workers who earn an average of $16.14 per hour. On a percent-of-shipments basis, glassmaking is one of the most energy-intensive industries; the industry spent $1.8 billion on purchased energy in 2001.

The glass industry is classified under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 3272, Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing, and 327993, Mineral Wood Manufacturing.