The industrial sector employed 7,442 people representing 15.4 % of the labour force in the year 2000.This number has reduced to 6,962 people in 2005 depicting a percentage decrease of 3.4% from 15.4% in 2000 to 12% in 2005.

Types of Industries

The major types of industries found in the Municipality are agro-processing, manufacturing and mining mainly undertaken by Mensin Gold Mines Bibiani Limited at Bibiani, Chirano Gold Company Limited at Chirano and Bauxite mining at Awaso by the Ghana Bauxite Company Limited.

Out of the categories of manufacturing industries, only small-scale industries exist in the Municipality. These range from carpentry and joinery, Jewelry, pottery metal smelting, palm and oil extraction, automobile fitting, refrigeration repair, cassava processing, cereal milling, bakery, shoe making, local gin (akpeteshie) distilling, tie and dye and batik making, to fuel dispensing.

These small-scale industries are thriving pretty well in the Municipality. However, access to credit facilities, managerial capabilities etc. in order to expand them by their owners remains a major challenge. 67 This and equally other important factors prevent the manufacturing sub-sector to grow and contribute immensely towards the development of the Municipality.