Connecticut Industrial Employment Declines Nearly 5% According To Manufacturers Directory

Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff
Manufacturers’ News, Inc.
(847) 864-9440 ext. 241
jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com



EVANSTON, Ill, July 17, 2009 /Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Connecticut fell 4.8% over the past twelve months according to the 2010 Connecticut Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Connecticut lost 11,293 industrial jobs and 213 manufacturers between May 2008 and May 2009, the sharpest decline MNI has ever reported in the twelve years it has been tracking the state’s industry.

According to earlier reports by MNI, Connecticut suffered a 3% loss in manufacturing employment between 2006 and 2007, and lost 1.3% between 2007 and 2008.

Manufacturers’ News reports Connecticut is home to 5,820 manufacturers employing 221,973 workers.

“As with the entire nation, the recession continues to affect Connecticut’s industrial sector. However the state’s educated workforce and strong exports should help lay the groundwork for recovery,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912.

MNI reports the state’s top industrial sector remains transportation equipment, currently accounting for 39,681 of the state’s jobs, down 3.7% over the year. Second-ranked fabricated metals manufacturing accounts for 29,614 jobs, down 4% over the year, while industrial machinery and equipment represents 28,187 of the state’s manufacturing jobs, down 3.1% over the past twelve months, following layoffs at a Stanadyne Corp. facility in Windsor, among others.

Bright spots for the state include the planned expansion of elastometric component manufacturer Jonal Laboratories and the continued increase in exports from the state—rising 79% from 2004-2008, according to government data.

Losses were seen across all of Connecticut’s industrial sectors and included primary metals, down 12%; electronics down 8.7%; rubber/plastics down 8.2% and printing/publishing down 7.9%, following the closure of printing company Quebecor World, Inc. in North Haven. Employment in furniture/fixtures fell 7%; chemicals were down 6.3%; stone/clay/glass down 5.8%; textiles/apparel down 3% and lumber/wood down 2.9%.

According to MNI, Hartford, Fairfield and New Haven counties account for 77% of the state’s manufacturing employment or 171,556 jobs. Hartford County is home to 68,174 jobs, down 6.3% while Fairfield County accounts for 56,191 of the state’s jobs, down 3.4%. New Haven County’s jobs are down 6.3% with the county currently home to 47,031 industrial workers. New London County saw the largest decline with industrial jobs down 11.6% while Middlesex County lost the fewest, down 1.2% over the year.

MNI’s city data shows Stratford is the state’s top city for manufacturing employment, home to 10,835 jobs, with no significant change in employment reported over the year. Second-ranked Groton accounts for 7,863 jobs, with employment down 12% over the past twelve months. Danbury is home to 7,656 industrial jobs, down 6.2% over the year. Bristol accounts for 7,643 jobs, down 1.4%, while Stamford is home to 6,774, down 2% over the past twelve months.

Detailed profiles of Connecticut’s 5,820 manufacturers and 827 industrial distributors can be found in the 2010 Connecticut Manufacturers Register, 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), 17,666 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.