Minnesota Industrial Jobs Down 1.7% Reports State Manufacturers Guide - November 6, 2008
Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (847) 864-9440 ext. 241 jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, Ill, November 10, 2008 /Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Minnesota dropped 1.7% over the past twelve months according to the 2009 Minnesota Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI (http://www.manufacturersnews.com) reports Minnesota lost 8,745 industrial jobs from September 2007 to September 2008, continuing the downward slide the state has experienced over the last few years.
Manufacturers’ News reports Minnesota is home to 10,661 manufacturers employing 494,838 workers, ranking 13th in the US for number of industrial jobs. MNI reports Minnesota’s 1.7% drop is less severe than other losses seen across the Midwest, and reflects more the moderate losses experienced in the Plains States.
“As with the entire nation, Minnesota’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.”
Lumber and wood jobs decreased by 5.6% over the survey period following the closure of companies such as cabinet maker American Woodmark in Ham Lake, while employment in furniture/fixtures saw a 6.8% drop.
According to the 2009 Register, industrial machinery and equipment is the state’s largest industrial sector by employment, accounting for 73,144 of the state’s jobs, down 1.2% over the year. Food products manufacturing accounts for another 65,168 jobs, with employment in this sector up almost 1% over the year. Printing/publishing represents 56,154 of Minnesota’s industrial jobs, down 3.1% over the past twelve months.
Other sectors losing jobs include paper/allied products, down 7.6%; transportation equipment, down 6.6%; rubber and miscellaneous plastic products, down 3.8%; fabricated metals, down 3.4% and stone/clay/glass, down 2.7%.
Employment in the textiles/apparel sectors remained stable over the year, while primary metals manufacturing saw an increase of 2.4% and chemicals and electronics were up 1% and 1.3%, respectively.
According to MNI, Central East Minnesota accounts for 260,514 of the state’s jobs, or 53% of the state, down 1% over the year. Southeast Minnesota represents 114,956 of the state’s industrial employment, down 3.5% over the past twelve months. Central West Minnesota is home to 41,022 of the state’s workers, down 1% over the year, while Southwest Minnesota saw no significant employment change over the year and currently accounts for 38,433 of Minnesota’s industrial jobs. Northeast Minnesota is home to 22,104 industrial workers, down 4.8%, while the Northwest region represents 17,809 jobs, down 4.2% over the survey period.
Minneapolis is home to the most industrial jobs in Minnesota, accounting for 62,885 jobs, down 2.8% over the year. St. Paul accounts for 45,518 jobs, down 4.5% from a year ago. MNI reports the Twin Cities are among the top cities in the US for industrial employment with Minneapolis ranking 15th in the nation for manufacturing jobs and St. Paul 30th. Together, the two cities account for 108,403 industrial jobs.
Eden Prairie is home to the 3rd most industrial jobs in the state, with 15,804 workers, up 4.1% over the year. Fourth-ranked Eagan is home to 12,958 manufacturing jobs, with no significant change reported, while Rochester accounts for 12,883 industrial jobs, down 6.8% over the past twelve months.
Detailed profiles of Minnesota’s 10,661 manufacturers and 1,010 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Minnesota Manufacturers Register, available in print for $134 and on CD-ROM from $205. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 32,922 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.
"Our company has added at least a half dozen new customers. We can reasonably expect to see 10% or better growth in the long term as result of information in MNI." David Richardson, Quality Engineering/Sales, AMG, Inc. - Lynchburg, VA
