Industrial Guide Reports Florida Lost 30,000 Manufacturing Jobs

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



EVANSTON, Ill, April 17, 2009/Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Florida fell 5.3% over the past twelve months according to the 2009 Florida Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Florida lost 30,340 industrial jobs and 665 manufacturers between February 2008 and February 2009, the steepest loss MNI has ever reported for the state.

Manufacturers’ News reports Florida is home to 15,860 manufacturers employing 543,283 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 Florida’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 lumber and wood sector saw the worst drop in employment, down 15% in 2008, due partially to the closure of lumber mill West Fraser and layoffs at Wayne Dalton, although one bright spot for the sector was seen in the start-up of Green Core Earth Products, a manufacturer of energy-efficient modular housing.

MNI reports printing/publishing is Florida’s top sector by industrial employment, with 57,581 jobs, down 6.4% over the year. The electronics sector follows closely with 53,826 jobs, down 3.3%, in part due to the closure of Hi-Stat Mfg. Co., a manufacturer of electrical components for commercial trucks. Third-ranked fabricated metal products employs 50,522, down 5% over the year.

Job losses were seen across all sectors over the past twelve months and included rubber and plastics, down 10%; stone/clay and glass down 9.7%; textiles/apparel down 7%; industrial machinery and equipment down 5.2%; chemicals down 4%; food products down 3.5%; paper down 3.4% and transportation equipment was down the least at 2.3%.

Manufacturers’ News reports Central Florida accounts for over half of the state’s decline, losing 6.8% of its manufacturing employment or 17,967 jobs. The region is currently home to 245,566 industrial workers or 45% of the state. South Florida lost 10,176 jobs over the year or 5% and currently accounts for 195,499 industrial jobs. Over a third of these jobs were lost in Miami, which saw employment fall by 8.3% or 3,929 jobs.

The Northeast region of the state lost the fewest jobs, down just a half percent, and is currently home to 69,403 industrial workers. Manufacturing employment in the Panhandle dropped 5.4%, the region home to 32,815 jobs, according to MNI.

MNI’s city data shows Miami is the state’s top city for manufacturing employment, home to 43,575 jobs and 1,365 manufacturers, and ranks 11th among the nation’s cities for number of manufacturers and 29th for related jobs.

Second-ranked Jacksonville accounts for 43,273 jobs, with industrial employment steady over the past twelve months. Industrial jobs in Orlando have dropped 5.8%, with the city home to 35,220 jobs. Fourth-ranked Tampa accounts for 31,938 of the state’s jobs, down 3.7%, while Fort Lauderdale is home to 16,089 industrial workers, with no significant change reported over the year, according to MNI.

Detailed profiles of Florida’s 15,860 manufacturers and 1,912 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Florida Manufacturers Register, available in print for $182 and on CD-ROM from $266. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 47,018 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.