Highlights

• The forest sector directly contributed approximately $4.95 billion in industry output and employed 8,972 people, generating more than $615 million in labor income (Table 1).
• The sector directly generated approximately $1.70 billion in value added to the economy through labor income, business income, property income and taxes (Table 1).
• Including direct, indirect and induced impacts, the forest sector contributed approximately $7.37 billion in total industry output and supported 19,808 jobs, while generating nearly $1.32 billion in labor income (Table 2).
• Every direct job in the forest sector supported an additional 1.21 jobs elsewhere in the economy, resulting in an overall employment multiplier of 2.21 (Table 3).
• Every dollar of industry output generated directly by the forest sector contributed an additional $0.49 in economic activity across the broader economy, resulting in an output multiplier of 1.49 (Table 3).

Key Definitions

• Industry output reveals the total value of production or service by industry in a snapshot of time.
• Employment includes all full-time and part-time employees and self-employed persons.
• Labor income includes wages, salaries, benefits of the employees, including their tax contributions to the government and income for self-employed individuals.
• Value added is the difference between total output and the costs of its intermediate inputs.
• Direct contributions include the forestry sector’s own production, value added, employment and labor income.
• Indirect contributions include economic activities in other sectors impacted by the forestry sector’s purchase of goods and services.
• Induced contributions are economic activities from the consumption of goods and services using incomes generated from direct and indirect contributions.
• Total economic contributions include direct, indirect and induced contributions.

Industry Analysis

• Primary paper and paperboard product industry and the secondary solid wood product industry were the two largest employers within the forest sector (Tables 1 and 2).
• Over one-third (33.4%) of all directly employed forest sector workers were employed in secondary solid wood products, accounting for 3,000 jobs (Table 1).
• The primary paper and paperboard products industry generated the highest labor income, value added and industry output of any forest sector industry, contributing approximately $254 million in labor income, $895 million in value added and $2.43 billion in direct industry output (Table 1).
• Primary paper and paperboard products and secondary paper and paperboard products were the highest-paying industries in the forest sector based on labor income per employee (Table 1).
• Forestry and logging combined accounted for approximately 15% of direct forest sector employment (1,355 jobs). These sectors also reported the lowest labor income per employee among the major forest sector industries (Table 1).
• When indirect and induced effects are included, primary paper and paperboard products remained the largest contributor to the forest sector economy, supporting 7,494 jobs and generating approximately $3.64 billion in total industry output (Table 2).
• Secondary solid wood products ranked second in total employment contribution, supporting more than 5,070 jobs and contributing more than $1.22 billion in total industry output (Table 2).

Figure 1. Forestry and logging combined accounted for approximately 15% of direct forest sector employment.

Note: Economic contributions, based on multi-industry contribution analysis, are reported in 2024 dollars. Ripple effects=SAM Multiple-1