The forest sector is a major contributor to North Carolina’s economic well being and it continues to grow. In 2016 the forest sector contributed $12.6 billion dollars to our state gross domestic product, up from $10.9 billion dollars in 2013. The total economic contribution in industry output to the state’s economy in 2016 was $32.7 billion, supporting about 150,000 full- and part-time jobs with a payroll of $7.8 billion. For a complete view of North Carolina’s Forest and Forest Product Industries in 2013 read “North Carolina’s Forests and Forest Products Industry by the Numbers, 2013.” For the complete view of the economic contribution of the North Carolina forest sector in 2016 read “Economic Contribution of the Forest Sector in North Carolina, 2016”

NC’s Forest Sector…in 2013…

• produced $18.5 billion in output and employed 70,300 people, with a payroll of $3.8 billion;
• directly generated $912 million in state, local, and federal tax revenues;
• led in total output, value added, labor income, and state tax generation with paper manufacturing;
• led in employment with wood furniture manufacturing;
• led the South in logs and wood products exports, continuing a decade-long trend;
• along with timber income, contributed $29.4 billion in output and 144,800 jobs with a payroll of $7.36 billion to North Carolina’s economy;
• contributed $10.9 billion to gross state product;
• generated 1,060 jobs throughout the state for every 1,000 forestry and forest products jobs; and
• contributed an additional $587,000 to the overall North Carolina economy for every $1.0 million generated in forestry and forest products output.

NC’s Forest Sector…in 2016…

• North Carolina has about 18.1 million acres of timberland, which supports a vibrant forest product industry throughout the state.
• In 2016, the forest sector in North Carolina had a total economic contribution of $32.7 billion in industry output to the state’s economy, supporting about 150,000 full- and part-time jobs with a payroll of $7.8 billion.
• The wood-based industry is the top employer among manufacturing sectors in the state.
• Every job created in the forest sector resulted in another 1.1 jobs in North Carolina.
• On average, every dollar generated in the forest sector contributed an additional 51 cents to the rest of the North Carolina economy.
• The forest sector in North Carolina contributed about $894.1 million to state and local taxes and $878.8 million to federal taxes.
• Forest products firms exported about $1.4 billion worth of forest products to foreign countries.

To learn more about the forest sector’s economic impact for a specific county select from the list below.

Forest Impacts by County in North Carolina