Pennsylvania Manufacturers Report 1.2% Employment Loss According To State Industrial Directory - July 21, 2008
Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (847) 864-9440 ext. 241 jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, Ill, July 22, 2008/Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Pennsylvania dropped 1.2% over the past 12 months according to the 2009 Pennsylvania Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. The Register reports Pennsylvania lost 10,684 industrial jobs from May 2007 to May 2008, continuing the decline the state has seen since 2001.
“As with the entire nation, Pennsylvania’s industrial employment is suffering due to automation, mergers and outsourcing,” says Tom Dubin, President of MNI. “But as wages in developing countries increase and fuel costs cut into freight-sensitive goods, some manufacturers are bringing production back home.”
Manufacturers’ News reports Pennsylvania is home to 19,269 manufacturers employing 884,629 workers, and ranks fifth in the U.S. for manufacturing jobs and plants. Pennsylvania’s losses are in line with states across the region with New York’s industrial employment down 3%, New Jersey’s down 2%, and Maryland/DC down a half percent, according to earlier MNI reports. MNI profiles manufacturers of all sizes, including small, start-up companies with just a few employees.
According to the 2009 Register, the industrial machinery and equipment sector accounts for the most industrial jobs in the state with 103,994 listed in the new edition, down nearly 1% over the year. The fabricated metal products sector accounts for 92,918 jobs, down 2,109 or 2.2% over the past twelve months due in part to Laird Technologies’ closure of its Delaware Water Gap plant. Food products manufacturing employs the third most workers in the state with 86,204 jobs, up 536 or a half percent.
Other sectors losing jobs include textiles/apparel, down 5.8%; paper/allied products, down 1.2%; furniture/fixtures, down 3.7% and electronics, down 1% after Tyco Electronics closed its East Berlin plant. The lumber and wood sector was down 2.6% and printing/publishing posted a 2.5% decline due partially to Paper Magic’s closure of its Elysburg plant. Chemicals and allied products were down a half percent. Among the few major sectors to gain jobs were transportation equipment, up nearly 1% following an expansion by emission control catalyst manufacturer Johnson Matthey. Rubber and miscellaneous plastic products were up 1.1%, according to MNI.
According to the industrial directory, Southeast Pennsylvania accounts for 42% of the state’s industrial employment, with 374,587 jobs, down 1.4% or 5,190 over the past twelve months. Southwest Pennsylvania accounts for 198,145 jobs, down 1,026 or a half percent over the year. Central Pennsylvania is home to 129,506 workers, down 2% over the year, while the Northwest region of the state accounts for 118,139 jobs, down 1%. Northeast Pennsylvania accounts for 64,252 jobs, down just a half percent over the past twelve months.
MNI’s city data shows Philadelphia manufacturers employ the most Pennsylvania workers at 51,148 of the state’s jobs, down 2.3% over the year. MNI reports Philadelphia ranks among the top 50 industrial cities in the US, ranking 19th in the nation for number of manufacturers and related jobs. Pittsburgh ranks second in the state with 36,176 jobs, down 3.5% over the year while York is home to 25,772 jobs, down a half percent. Fourth-ranked Erie represents 22,229 industrial jobs in Pennsylvania, down 4.8% over the year, while industrial employment in Allentown is down 4.3% and is currently home to 19,691 workers.
Detailed profiles of Pennsylvania’s 19,269 manufacturers and 2,155 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Pennsylvania Manufacturers Register, available in print for $196 and on CD-ROM from $265. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 59,782 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, number of employees, and more. Visitors to mnileads.com may generate custom profiles of manufacturers 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. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100.
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