Seattle Manufacturing Jobs Up 2.3% In '07 According To Industrial Directory's 12-Month Report - April 2, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff
Manufacturers’ News, Inc.
1633 Central St.
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 864-9440 ext. 241
jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, IL –Seattle saw an increase in manufacturing employment over the past 12 months according to the 2008 Washington Manufacturers Directory, an industrial guide published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Seattle gained 843 industrial jobs between February 2007 and February 2008 —a 2.3% increase.
“Seattle’s natural resources and growing population have provided some immunity against the industrial job losses suffered by many other areas,” said Tom Dubin, President of the Illinois publishing company, which has been surveying US industry since 1912.
Manufacturers’ News reports Seattle is home to 966 manufacturers employing 37,017 workers, and accounts for 14% of Washington’s manufacturers and 12% of the state’s industrial jobs. The industrial directory reports Seattle ranks among the top 50 cities in the US for manufacturing, ranking 27th in the nation for number of manufacturers and 48th for jobs. MNI surveys manufacturers of all sizes, including small, start-up companies. 35% of Seattle’s manufacturers employ 5 or fewer workers.
Seattle’s food products sector is a major industrial employer, accounting for 8,162 jobs—22% of Washington’s 36,586 food manufacturing jobs. MNI report Seattle’s food manufacturing jobs are up a half percent from a year ago. The printing and publishing sector accounts for 4,080 Seattle jobs, and ranks as the sector with the most facilities in Seattle, at 184 or 19% of the city’s manufacturers. Nearly 40% of these companies employ 5 or fewer workers. MNI reports printing and publishing jobs are up 18% in Seattle, or 616 jobs.
Transportation equipment ranks third in Seattle with 3,591 workers, up 451 or 14% over the year. Other sectors gaining employment include textiles/apparel, up 14%; furniture and fixtures, up 16% and industrial machinery and equipment, up 8%. Losses were seen in paper and allied products, down 1,669 jobs and fabricated metal products, down 285 jobs.
Elsewhere in the state, industrial jobs in Everett are up 1.8% and Kent jobs are up 1.1%. Spokane jobs are down 3.9%, with the city currently accounting for 20,806 of the state’s manufacturing jobs.
According to MNI there are 6,873 manufacturers employing 305,897 workers that operate in the state of Washington. Washington ranks 19th in the nation for number of manufacturers and 23rd for jobs, representing 12.5% of the Western region’s manufacturers and 11.4% of its jobs. MNI data shows Washington’s manufacturing employment remained stable over the past twelve months, posting a net gain of 40 jobs.
Northwest Washington accounts for the majority of the state’s manufacturing, home to 65% of Washington’s industrial employment or 119,738 jobs, with over half of these located in King County. Southwest Washington accounts for 66,174 jobs or 21.6% of the state, while Northeast Washington accounts for 22,110 at 7.2% of the state. Southeast Washington accounts for 17,875 or 5.8%.
Detailed profiles of Washington’s 6,873 manufacturers and 909 industrial distributors can be found in the 2008 Washington Manufacturers Directory, available in print for $105 and on CD-ROM from $170. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 20,431 key executives, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, number of employees, and more. Visitors to mnileads may generate custom company selections using thirteen different criteria, including area or zip code, county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more.
Manufacturers’ News, Inc., publisher of manufacturers’ directories since 1912, compiles and produces manufacturing guides, statistics and databases for all 50 states. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100.
View All Manufacturing News Stories
