The demonstration was part of a national campaign to stem the tidal wave of jobs losses in manufacturing industries which are being shipped out to low-wage economies overseas.
More than 62,000 production jobs have been axed in the region since the beginning of 2001, slashing the manufacturing workforce to 439,000.
The Manchester march, which urged companies to "keep on making it in the north west" was organised by the manufacturing union Amicus, as part of a campaign to bring pressure to bear on government and big business to keep jobs in this country.
"We are standing on the edge of a precipice looking into the future of a low skilled economy, low paid jobs, no future for our youth and no pride in the job of making things," Amicus regional secretary Kevin Coyne warned the rally in the city centre.
He also stressed that the issue affected everyone, because manufacturing generates 20 per cent of the national wealth - money needed by all the community, for health, education and public services.
General secretary Derek Simpson said the scale of job losses were not only a tragedy for the skilled workers, but had a knock-on effect on the economy - the loss of a prosperous manufacturing base would lead to economic decline and a rise in poverty.
But the union believes the government is beginning to listen. Within the next few weeks, union and industry leaders are to have talks about the situation with Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt.
Tweet
