Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff
Manufacturers’ News, Inc.
(847) 864-9440 ext. 241
jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, Ill, August 25th, 2008/Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in West Virginia dropped 1.3% over the past 12 months according to the 2009 West Virginia Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. The Register reports West Virginia lost 1,191 industrial jobs from June 2007 to June 2008, continuing the decline the state has seen since 2001.
“West Virginia’s job losses echo those seen across the U.S., as manufacturers, particularly those in labor intensive industries, continue to be lured by cheaper costs overseas,” said Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “Also automation and technological advancements in today’s manufacturing require fewer employees.”
Manufacturers’ News reports West Virginia is home to 2,148 manufacturers employing 89,104 workers. West Virginia’s losses reflect those seen in neighboring states with Pennsylvania’s industrial employment down 1.2%, Virginia’s down 1.5% and Kentucky’s 2.3%, according to earlier MNI reports. Manufacturers’ News profiles manufacturers of all sizes, including small, start-up companies with just a few employees.
According to the 2009 Register, coal mining accounts for 10,474 of the state’s industrial jobs, with no significant change reported over the year. The lumber and wood sector represents 8,672 West Virginia jobs, down 7.9% over the past twelve months, partially due to Spencer Veneer’s closing in June of last year. The chemicals and allied products sector accounts for 7,930 industrial jobs, down 1.4%.
Other sectors losing jobs include transportation equipment, down 10% following Benson International’s closing of their Mineral Wells truck and trailer manufacturing plant. Stone/clay/glass/concrete was down 4.3% after Fenton Art Glass Co. closed its Williamstown factory and fabricated metal products manufacturing dropped 1.6%.
According to the industrial directory, the Northwest region of the state accounts for 31,236 jobs, down 1,051 or 3.3% over the year. The Southwest is home to 30,381 industrial jobs, up 547 or 1.8% over the past twelve months. The Northeast section of the state represents 11,312 jobs, down 2.9% over the year, while Central West Virginia represents 9,077, down 1.4%. Southeast West Virginia is home to 7,098 jobs, down 2.9% over the past twelve months.
MNI’s city data shows Huntington manufacturers employ the most West Virginia workers at 6,334 of the state’s jobs, up 5% over the year. Charleston ranks second in the state with 4,246 jobs, down 3.5% over the year while Martinsburg accounts for 3,382 jobs, down 5.5%. Fourth-ranked Morgantown represents 3,197 industrial jobs in West Virginia, up 1.4% over the year, while industrial employment in Moorefield is down 5.8% and is currently home to 3,236 workers.
Detailed profiles of West Virginia’s 2,148 manufacturers and 287 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 West Virginia Manufacturers Register, available in print for $80 and on CD-ROM from $101. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 7,161 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.
