Manufacturing in New Brunswick: Sales, Employment and Investment

Manufacturing is one of New Brunswick’s largest commercial sectors, but its 2025 results require careful interpretation. Sales declined, employment reached a record high, and capital investment increased sharply. These indicators describe different parts of industrial activity and should not be treated as interchangeable.

New Brunswick manufacturing at a glance

Non-durable goods represented 83.0% of manufacturing sales and declined by 8.1%. Durable-goods sales were more stable, edging down by 0.4%. Because New Brunswick has substantial petroleum and other non-durable production, changes in prices and volumes can materially influence the provincial total.

Employment increased despite lower sales

Manufacturing employment rose by 5,700 positions to 33,400, the largest annual increase in the comparable series dating back to 1976. The largest gains were in wood-product manufacturing, with 1,900 additional positions; fabricated metal products, with 1,500; and food manufacturing, with 900. Paper manufacturing declined by 300 positions.

This contrast does not automatically mean that every manufacturer expanded. Sales are reported in dollars and can move with product prices, input costs, production volumes and industry composition. Employment can reflect hiring, project activity or changes within specific subsectors. The data is most useful when analyzed at the subsector level.

Capital investment points to modernization and capacity needs

Manufacturing capital investment increased by $352.8 million to $1.3 billion in 2025. It was the largest sector-level increase reported in New Brunswick. Investment can include buildings, machinery, equipment and other productive assets.

Higher investment does not guarantee immediate sales growth. Industrial projects often support multi-year objectives such as automation, reliability, maintenance, efficiency, safety, environmental performance or capacity. For suppliers, the timing and nature of capital projects may be more relevant than the province-wide sales total.

Wood products: lower sales, higher employment

Wood-product manufacturing sales declined by 3.5% to $1.7 billion. Sawmills and wood preservation grew by 8.7%, but declines in veneer, plywood, engineered wood and other wood products pulled the subsector total lower.

Employment increased to 5,900 positions, up 47.5%, while average weekly earnings reached $1,204.73. Wood products represented 44.1% of durable-goods manufacturing sales. The subsector remains economically significant even when annual sales move with construction markets, lumber prices, trade conditions and forest supply.

Food and seafood processing remain important

Food manufacturing added approximately 900 positions in 2025. Seafood product preparation and packaging generated $1.7 billion in sales, broadly unchanged from the previous year, and represented 7.5% of total manufacturing sales.

Food and seafood processing connect agriculture and fisheries with packaging, refrigeration, food safety, automation, transportation and export markets. These connected needs make the value chain broader than processing facilities alone.

Fabricated metals and advanced manufacturing

Fabricated metal manufacturing added about 1,500 positions in 2025. The province’s 2026 economic development strategy also identifies advanced manufacturing as a priority technology-enabled sector.

Advanced manufacturing is not a single product category. It describes the application of automation, digital systems, advanced materials, precision processes and data to industrial production. It can support established industries such as food, forestry, energy, construction, marine activity and defence.

Industrial demand extends beyond the factory floor

Manufacturing activity supports demand across a wide business ecosystem:

• machinery, components and industrial supplies;
• maintenance, repair and reliability services;
• automation, cybersecurity and production software;
• packaging, warehousing and cold-chain systems;
• energy, environmental and safety solutions;
• engineering, training, quality and professional services;
• freight, port, rail and road logistics.

The strongest interpretation of the market therefore combines sales, employment, investment and the structure of each industrial value chain.

What to monitor in 2026

• the relationship between commodity prices and manufacturing sales;
• the implementation of major capital projects;
• employment sustainability after the 2025 increase;
• U.S. trade exposure and export diversification;
• energy capacity and costs;
• automation, productivity and skilled-labour requirements.

For a broader provincial view, read Key Industries in New Brunswick and New Brunswick Exports and Trade. Companies evaluating local commercial relevance can also contact Deal NB.

Sources and data note

• Government of New Brunswick, The New Brunswick Economy: 2025 in Review
• Government of New Brunswick, Economic Development Strategy, 2026

Data reviewed August 11, 2026. Annual totals may be revised and do not describe every company or subsector.