Mississippi Manufacturing Jobs Down 5.4% According To Industrial Directory - April 14, 2009
Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff
Manufacturers’ News, Inc.
(847) 864-9440 ext. 241
jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, Ill, April 14, 2009/Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Mississippi fell 5.4% over the past twelve months according to the 2009 Mississippi Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Mississippi lost 10,761 industrial jobs and 158 manufacturers from February 2008 to February 2009, the steepest loss MNI has ever reported for the state.
Manufacturers’ News reports Mississippi is home to 3,346 manufacturers employing 189,806 workers. MNI profiles companies of all sizes including start-up companies with just a few employees.
“As with the entire nation, weakening demand continues to hit many of Mississippi’s core sectors, while the faltering housing market has affected industries such as wood products, furniture and building products,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912.
Employment in the furniture sector alone saw one of the worst drops in employment, down 14% in 2008, following closures of companies such as Lane Furniture Industries in Pontotoc. Lumber and wood declined 8.7%.
Fewer jobs were lost in transportation equipment manufacturing, with losses offset by naval contracts secured by the state’s top employer, shipbuilder Northrop Grumman. MNI reports transportation equipment accounts for 23,490 jobs, down 1.9% over the year. The industrial machinery and equipment sector lost the fewest jobs over the year, down just 1%. The sector currently represents 22,527 of the state’s jobs.
Job losses were seen across all sectors in 2008 and included rubber/miscellaneous plastics down 15%; textiles/apparel down 10%; printing/publishing; down 8.6%; fabricated metals; down 4.5%, stone/clay/glass; down 4.5%; paper products down 4.1%; chemicals down 3.6% and electronics down 2.6%.
According to MNI, food products manufacturing remains Mississippi’s largest industrial sector by employment, with 23,517 of the state’s jobs, with employment in this sector down 5.3% over last year. Transportation equipment ranks second with 23,490 jobs, down 1.9%.
Manufacturers’ News reports Northeast Mississippi accounts for over half of the state’s decline, losing 10.3% of its manufacturing employment or 5,959 jobs. NE Mississippi manufacturers closing down include Georgia-Pacific in Gloster, Future Pipe Industries in Gulfport, and Hickory Hill Furniture in Fulton. The area currently is home to 52,156 industrial workers. Northwest Mississippi lost 6% and accounts for 30,455 manufacturing jobs, while industrial employment declined 4.5% in Southwest Mississippi, with the region now home to 43,394 jobs. Southeast Mississippi accounts for 63,801 of the state’s jobs, with a marginal decline of 1.3% over the past year.
MNI’s city data shows Pascagoula is the state’s top city for manufacturing employment, home to 15,700 jobs, with employment unchanged over the year. Second-ranked Laurel accounts for 7,697 jobs, down 6% over the past twelve months. Industrial jobs in Jackson have dropped 6.1%, with the city home to 7,429 jobs. Fourth-ranked Tupelo accounts for 6,595 of the state’s jobs, down another 6%, while Columbus is home to 5,506 industrial workers, with no significant change reported over the year, according to MNI.
Detailed profiles of Mississippi’s 3,346 manufacturers and 455 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Mississippi Manufacturers Register, available in print for $93 and on CD-ROM from $134. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 12,135 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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