Industrial Directory Reports Wisconsin Lost 31,000 Manufacturing Jobs - August 14, 2009
Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff
Manufacturers’ News, Inc.
(847) 864-9440 ext. 241
jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, Ill, August 14th, 2009 /Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Wisconsin fell 5% over the past twelve months according to the 2010 Wisconsin Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Wisconsin lost 31,296 industrial jobs and 413 manufacturers between June 2008 and June 2009, the sharpest decline MNI has ever reported in the twenty-five years it has been tracking the state’s industry.
Manufacturers’ News reports Wisconsin is now home to 12,026 manufacturers employing 600,017 workers.
“As with the entire nation, the recession continues to affect Wisconsin’s industrial sectors, with the auto industry and sectors related to the housing market taking the biggest hit,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, the state’s educated workforce and strong exports should help lay the groundwork for recovery,”
Transportation equipment manufacturing saw the worst drop in employment, down 20% over the past twelve months due partially to the shutdowns at GM’s Janesville assembly plant and the Janesville Lear Corp plant, which closed in December. As a result, industrial employment in Janesville fell 45%. Other auto industry manufacturers shutting down include Alcoa Wheel Products, which shuttered its Beloit plant in March.
Manufacturers associated with the housing industry also saw declines over the year with employment in lumber and wood down 8.3% and furniture/fixtures down 3.2%.
Industrial machinery and equipment remains the state’s top sector by manufacturing employment with 105,816 jobs, down 3.9% over the year. Fabricated metal products account for 67,206 jobs, down 5.4%, while third-ranked food products manufacturing accounts for 66,447 jobs, down 1.2% over the past twelve months.
Most other industrial sectors in Wisconsin lost jobs within the past year and included primary metals manufacturing, down 6.1%; printing/publishing down 5.4%; rubber/plastics down 5.1%; paper products down 4.9%; electronics down 4.6% and stone/clay/glass down 2.3%. Employment in chemicals manufacturing remained steady, according to MNI.
Bright spots for the state include the planned expansion of Oshkosh Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial vehicles that will be stepping up production of all-terrain vehicles for the U.S. armed forces, creating 300-500 jobs. The continued increase in exports from Wisconsin—rising 13% from 2007 to 2008 according to government data—has also helped to offset losses.
Manufacturers’ News reports Southeast Wisconsin saw the largest drop in employment, down 6.1% over the year with the region currently accounting for 324,967 jobs or 54% of the state. Manufacturing employment declined 4.1% in Southwest Wisconsin, with the region currently home to 47,429 jobs, while Northern Wisconsin suffered a 3.8% drop and is currently home to 38,318 jobs. Central Wisconsin saw a 3.4% decline and currently accounts for 189,303 of the state’s manufacturing jobs, according to MNI.
MNI’s city data shows Milwaukee is Wisconsin’s top city for manufacturing employment, home to 60,467 jobs, with jobs down 4% over the year. Second-ranked Green Bay accounts for 23,694 jobs, with employment down 2.9%. Madison is home to 19,058 industrial jobs, down 3.1% over the year, while Waukesha accounts for 17,320 jobs, down 3.5%. Appleton is home to 14,641, down 7.9% over the past twelve months.
Detailed profiles of Wisconsin’s 12,026 manufacturers and 1,637 industrial distributors can be found in the 2010 Wisconsin Manufacturers Register®, available in print for $142 and on CD-ROM from $235. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 41,900 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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