State Industrial Directory Reports Tennessee Manufacturing Jobs Down 3.3% - October 22, 2008
Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff
Manufacturers’ News, Inc.
(847) 864-9440 ext. 241
jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, Ill, October 22nd, 2008 /Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Tennessee dropped 3.3% over the past twelve months according to the 2009 Tennessee Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. The Register reports Tennessee lost 15,110 industrial jobs from September 2007 to September 2008, continuing the downward slide the state has experienced over the last several years.
Manufacturers’ News reports Tennessee is home to 8,119 manufacturers employing 444,567 workers, ranking 14th in the US for number of industrial jobs and 17th for number of manufacturers. Tennessee’s manufacturing job losses are in line with those felt by neighboring states, with Georgia and North Carolina’s industrial employment each down 2.3% and Alabama’s down 2.2%, according to earlier MNI reports.
“As with the entire nation, Tennessee’s industrial employment is suffering due to automation, mergers and outsourcing,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “Additionally, the weak housing market has affected related manufacturing industries, such as wood products, furniture and building products.”
According to the 2009 Register, transportation equipment is the state’s largest industrial sector by employment, accounting for 52,947 of the state’s jobs, down 2,367 or 4.3% over the year. The state’s auto industry accounts for 46,664 of these jobs, down 3.9% with closures of two Plastech facilities accounting for some of the loss. Industrial machinery represents 48,875 of the state’s manufacturing jobs, down 2.5% over the year, following the layoffs at and eventual closure of La Vergne’s Whirlpool plant. Third-ranked fabricated metal products manufacturing employs 48,179, down just a half percent.
Other sectors losing jobs include food products manufacturing and furniture/fixtures, each down 7.8%; and lumber/wood, down 6.7%, following the closure of Crossville-based MasterBrand Cabinets. Jobs in electronic products manufacturing fell 6.2% due partially to layoffs at a Toshiba plant in Lebanon. Stone/clay/glass employment was down 5.3%, primary metals dropped 3.9% and textiles/apparel fell 2.8%. Employment in the paper/allied products, chemicals and printing/publishing sectors remained stable over the year.
According to MNI, Northeast Tennessee accounts for 132,432 of the state’s jobs, with employment down 3.3% over the year. Industrial jobs in Southeast Tennessee are down 5.2% over the survey year, with the region currently home to 120,366 of the state’s workers. Northwest Tennessee accounts for 96,216 industrial jobs, down 1.5% over the year, while the Southwest region is home to 95,551, down 2.6%.
MNI’s city data shows Memphis manufacturers employ the most Tennessee workers at 39,280 of the state’s jobs, down 2.5% over the year. Nashville accounts for 30,213 of Tennessee’s jobs, also down 2.5%. Chattanooga is home to 21,391 industrial workers, with jobs down 4.1%, while fourth-ranked Knoxville accounts for 19,327 of the state’s jobs, down 4% over the year. Morristown saw jobs decrease by 1.1% and is currently home to 12,505 industrial workers.
Detailed profiles of Tennessee’s 8,119 manufacturers and 405 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Tennessee Manufacturers Register, available in print for $110 and on CD-ROM from $185. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 27,111 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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