NH Has Most Gun Industry Jobs Per Capita: Report

NASHUA, NH — New Hampshire is one of the states most dependent on the gun industry, according to a new survey.

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The Granite State was ranked No. 7 in the country in 2016’s States Most Dependent on the Gun Industry, produced by WalletHub, a personal finance service. Idaho was ranked No. 1.

New Hampshire has the most firearms industry jobs per capita, with a workforce of about 2,000. The survey included these statistics for NH:

• 1st, Firearms industry jobs per capita
• 1st, Total firearms industry output per capita
• 3rd, Average wages and benefits in firearms industry
• 7th, Total taxes paid by firearms industry per capita
• 9th, NICS background checks per capita
• 11th, Gun-rights contributions to congressional members per capita

Sig Sauer and Sturm, Ruger & Co. are two of New Hampshire’s largest firearms companies. Sig Sauer operates its U.S. headquarters in Newington and Sturm has a plant in Newport.

WalletHub said it reviewed data that showed the gun industry contributed about $43 billion to the U.S. economy in 2014; while the cost of gun violence was estimated at $229 billion. Industry experts say gun sales have seen a sharp increase in recent months.

These are the top 10 states in 2016’s States Most Dependent on the Gun Industry:

1. Idaho
2. Alaska
3. Montana
4. South Dakota
5. Arkansas
6. Wyoming
7. New Hampshire
8. Minnesota
9. Kentucky
10. Alabama

Photo: Emily Stanchfield via Flickr