Employment in the steel industry declined to about 170,000 wage and salary jobs in 2002, 80,000 fewer than in 1992. The steel industry traditionally has been located in the eastern and midwestern regions of the country, where iron ore, coal, or one of the other natural resources required for steel are found. Even today, about 46 percent of all steelworkers are employed in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. The growth of EAFs has allowed steelmaking to spread to virtually all parts of the country, although many firms find lower cost rural areas the most attractive. Large firms employ most workers in the steel industry. More than 65 percent of the jobs in 2002 were in establishments employing at least 250 workers.
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