Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff
Manufacturers’ News, Inc.
(847) 864-9440 ext. 241
jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, Ill, April 30, 2009/Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Arizona fell 3% over the past twelve months according to the 2009 Arizona Manufacturers Directory, a manufacturers guide published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Arizona lost 7,291 industrial jobs and 100 manufacturers between March 2008 and March 2009, the steepest loss MNI has ever reported for the state.
Manufacturers’ News reports Arizona is home to 6,004 manufacturers employing 232,936 workers. MNI profiles companies of all sizes including start-up companies with just a few employees.
Over the past few years MNI reported marginal changes in Arizona’s industrial employment. The Directory reported a 1% gain in employment between 2005 and 2006, a loss of 1.1% between 2006 and 2007, and a decline of nearly 1% over the 2007-2008 survey period.
“As with the entire nation, weakening demand continues to hit many of Arizona’s core sectors, while the faltering housing market has affected industries such as wood, 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 14.3% over the past twelve months. Lumber and wood followed closely behind with a drop of 14%. Closures related to the decline in the housing market include a Spring Air bedding plant in Phoenix and a window and door division of Atrium Companies Inc., also located in Phoenix.
Fewer jobs were lost in the state’s top three industrial sectors. Transportation equipment saw a drop of 1.8% and currently accounts for 32,352 of the state’s jobs. Fabricated metals manufacturing ranks as the state’s 2nd largest industrial sector with 26,242 jobs, down 1%. Industrial machinery and equipment accounts for 25,607, down 3.1% over the year.
Job losses were seen across most other sectors over the past twelve months and included stone/clay/glass down 13%; textiles/apparel down 7.7%; chemicals down 6.3%; electronics down 6.1%; printing/publishing down 4.8%; paper/allied products down 2.6% and food products down 2.2%.
Bright spots over the year included employment stability in the rubber/plastics and primary metals sectors as well as a rise in exports. Recent government reports indicate Arizona’s exports grew 2.68% in 2008, with exports of medical instruments up 9.23%. MNI data shows employment in the medical instruments sub-sector saw a rise of 1.3% over the year.
Phoenix is the state’s top city for manufacturing employment, home to 82,801 jobs, or 35% of the state, down 4% over the year. MNI reports Phoenix ranks 4th among the nation’s cities for number of manufacturers and ranks 9th nationally for related jobs.
Tucson accounts for 32,781 jobs, down 2.6% over the year. Tempe is home to 20,946 jobs, down 4.4% over the year, while Chandler saw industrial employment decline 1.1% and currently accounts for 20,100 jobs. Fifth-ranked Scottsdale is home to 12,865 jobs, down 1.5%, according to MNI.
Detailed profiles of Arizona’s 6,004 manufacturers and 991 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Arizona Manufacturers Directory, available in print for $106 and on CD-ROM from $171. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 17,965 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.
