FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff
Manufacturers’ News, Inc.1633 Central St.
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 864-9440 ext. 241
jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, IL –
Tennessee industrial employment dropped 4% over the past 12 months according to the 2008
Tennessee Manufacturers Register, an industrial guide published annually by
Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (
MNI) Evanston, IL.
MNI (http://
www.manufacturersnews.com) reports
Tennessee lost 19,331 manufacturing jobs since September 2006.
“
Tennessee’s job losses echo those seen all across the Southeast and Midwest, as manufacturers, particularly those in industries that are labor intensive, continue to be lured by cheaper costs overseas.” said Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying US industry since 1912. “Also automation and technological advancements in today’s manufacturing require fewer employees.”
Many of
Tennessee’s neighbors have experienced comparable losses. According to earlier
MNI releases,
Mississippi saw a 2.5% loss while
Alabama suffered a 2% industrial employment loss in 2006-2007.
Indiana experienced a 2.4% loss, and North and
South Carolina saw a 1.3% and 4% drop, respectively.
Manufacturers’ News reports
Tennessee is home to 8,398 manufacturers employing 459,677 workers.
MNI surveys both large and small manufacturers, including small start-up companies with just a few employees. According to
MNI, 50% of
Tennessee companies ceasing operations over the past year employed five or fewer workers.
MNI also identified 18 companies employing a combined 393 workers that relocated to other states over the past year.
MNI’s analysis shows
Tennessee ranks 17th in the nation for number of manufacturing plants and 14th for related jobs. The Volunteer state accounts for 11.5% of the Southeast’s plants and 12.7% of its industrial employment.
Northeast
Tennessee accounts for the largest share of the state’s manufacturing employment, with 136,963 jobs or 29.7% of the state, down 3.3% from September 2006. Southeast
Tennessee accounts for the 2nd most at 126,935 jobs or 27.6%, down 6% or 8,024 jobs over the 12-month period. Southwest
Tennessee is down 3.5% over the year and accounts for 98,096 jobs or 21.3% of the state while Northwest
Tennessee represents 21.2% of the state’s employment, or 97,685 jobs, down 3% over the past 12 months.
Memphis is home to the most industrial jobs, accounting for 8.7% of
Tennessee’s manufacturing employment or 40,293 jobs, down 3.3% or 1,394 jobs since September 2006.
MNI reports Memphis ranks 7th in the Southeastern U.S. for number of manufacturing plants and also ranks among the top 50 cities in the US by number of manufacturers, its 854 plants ranking it 32nd in the nation.
Nashville ranks second in the state with 725 plants employing 30,995 workers with no significant change reported over the year. Chattanooga is home to another 450 companies employing 22,294 workers, down 2.4% since September 2006. Fourth-ranked Knoxville accounts for 577 companies employing 20,141, up 2.2% over the year. Morristown is home to 112 plants and 12,644 workers.
Manufacturers of transportation equipment account for the most manufacturing jobs in
Tennessee, representing 12% of the state’s industrial employment or 55,311 jobs. Motor vehicle parts and accessories accounts for 60% of these jobs or 32,864. The auto industry as a whole accounts for 48,836 jobs, down 3,866 jobs or 7.3% from last year. Industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers employ another 50,145 workers or 10.9% of the state, down 1,852 jobs or 3.6%. Sub-sectors showing the sharpest drops include motor vehicle parts and accessories, down 2,109 jobs or 6% and upholstered household furniture down 2,152 or 21%. Sub-sectors showing increased employment include furnaces and industrial ovens, up 1,700 jobs and corrugated boxes, up 1,432.
Detailed profiles of
Tennessee’s 8,398 manufacturers and 620 industrial distributors can be found in the 2008
Tennessee Manufacturers Register, available in print for $110 and on CD-ROM from $185. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 21,121 key executives, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, number of employees, and more. Visitors to http://
www.mnileads.com may generate custom company selections 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. For more information, contact
Manufacturers’ News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100.
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