Nebraska Industrial Directory's Report Shows 1% Loss In Manufacturing Jobs

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




EVANSTON, Ill, August 18, 2008/Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Nebraska dropped 1% over the past 12 months according to the 2009 Nebraska Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. The Register reports Nebraska shed 1,228 industrial jobs from June 2007 to June 2008, the first loss MNI has reported for the state in recent years.

According to earlier MNI reports, Nebraska saw a 1.5% increase in industrial employment between June 2005 and June 2006, and then gained another 1,000 manufacturing jobs in the 2006-2007 survey period.

“Outsourcing, consolidation and automation have taken their toll on manufacturing employment.” Says Tom Dubin, President of Manufacturers’ News. “Ironically, the jobs that remain are so specialized and highly skilled that some manufacturers are having difficulty finding qualified applicants.”

Manufacturers’ News reports Nebraska is home to 3,063 manufacturers employing 128,562 workers. Nebraska’s employment loss falls in the middle when compared to other Midwest/Plains states. According to earlier MNI reports, the Midwest experienced heavy losses, while many of the Plains States posted gains with Kansas’ industrial employment up 1.5%, Wyoming’s up 3% and the Dakotas up a combined 4.8%.

According to the industrial directory, food products manufacturing is Nebraska’s largest industrial sector, accounting for 36,980 jobs. MNI reports food manufacturing jobs are down 2.6% over the year, partially due to the closing of a Tyson prepared foods plant in York and Affinity Snack Food Co. Weaver potato chip and snack manufacturing plant in Lincoln. The industrial machinery and equipment sector represents 13,968 of the state’s jobs, up a half percent over the past twelve months. Fabricated metal products manufacturing employs 10,331 Nebraska workers, up 463 or 4.7% over the year. Transportation equipment manufacturing also gained jobs over the year, up 711 or 8% since June 2007, partially due to Kawasaki’s expansion of its Lincoln rail car plant.

Sectors losing jobs include textile/apparel, down 9%; lumber and wood, down 2.7%; furniture/fixtures, down 14%; printing and publishing, down 6.6% and rubber and miscellaneous plastic products, down 4.5%. Electronics manufacturing was down 1% after Powermate Corp., a manufacturer of portable generators and air compressors, closed its Kearney-based plant.

The manufacturers directory reports Southeast Nebraska accounts for 70% of the state’s industrial employment, with 89,403 jobs, down 1.9% or 1,767 over the past twelve months. Northeast Nebraska accounts for 27,405 jobs, with industrial employment up by 244 jobs or 1% over the year. Southwest Nebraska is home to 8,646 workers, down 94 or 1.1%, while the Northwest region of the state is down 111 jobs or 3.4% and currently accounts for 3,108 of the state’s industrial workers.

MNI’s city data shows Omaha is Nebraska’s industrial capital with 33,898 of the state’s manufacturing jobs or 26% of the state. Lincoln ranks second in the state with 19,400 jobs, up 4.4% or 814 jobs over the year. Grand Island ranks third in the state with 7,821 jobs, down 130 or 1.6% over the past twelve months while fourth-ranked Columbus increased industrial employment by 1.4% and is currently home to 5,959 workers. Hastings is home to 3,735 industrial workers, down 3.9% over the past twelve months.

Detailed profiles of Nebraska’s 3,063 manufacturers and 518 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Nebraska Manufacturers Register, available in print for $86 and on CD-ROM from $119. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 10,014 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.