Does Bath Iron Works account for about 17% of Maine’s GDP? | Fact brief

Bath Iron Works does not account for about 17% of Maine’s total gross domestic product.

The claim likely confuses two measures. A December 2022 BIW press release said a commissioned study found the shipyard represented 17% of Maine’s “production GDP” in 2021. The release did not describe BIW as 17% of the entire state economy.

A November 2024 report estimates BIW’s 2023 statewide impact at $2.55 billion in economic output. That includes direct shipyard activity, supplier spending and employee spending.

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Output is not GDP because it includes intermediate purchases, such as parts and services bought from other firms, which GDP excludes to avoid double-counting. 

The 2024 report puts BIW’s total value added, the measure comparable to GDP, at $1.28 billion. BIW says that represented 1.6% of Maine GDP.

It said BIW had 6,722 workers in 2023, about 12.4% of Maine’s total manufacturing workforce.