North Carolina Lost 16,000 Manufacturing Jobs In 2007 Reports State Industrial Directory

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, Ill, March 5th, 2008/Manufacturers’ News, Inc/-- Industrial employment in North Carolina dropped 2.3% over the past 12 months according to the 2008 North Carolina Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI (http://www.manufacturersnews.com) reports North Carolina lost 16,052 industrial jobs in 2007--nearly twice the number of jobs MNI reported lost in 2006. The industrial directory’s last report cited an employment drop of 8,798 jobs or 1.3% between January 2006 and January 2007.

“North Carolina’s job losses echo those seen all across the Southeast and most of the U.S. as manufacturers, particularly those in the textile industries, continue to be lured by cheaper labor costs overseas, ”says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying US industry since 1912.

Manufacturers’ News reports North Carolina is home to 11,725 manufacturers employing 666,237 workers. North Carolina ranks 9th in the nation for number of manufacturing jobs and 10th for number of manufacturers, ranking 1st in the Southeast for industrial employment. Earlier reports by MNI indicate North Carolina’s job losses reflect those weathered by neighboring states, with South Carolina and Tennessee each losing 4% of their industrial employment and Virginia 1.9%.

According to MNI, the majority of North Carolina’s losses were suffered by the Northwest region of the state, which represents nearly 45% of the state’s industrial employment, or 297,184 jobs, down 12,184 or 4% in 2007. Employment gains were seen in the Northeast part of the state, which posted a half percent gain in 2007 and now accounts for 162,749 of the state’s jobs. The Southwest region of the state accounts for 130,701 jobs, down 2.6% over the year while the Southeast represents 75,603, down 1.7%.

Losses were seen across most industrial sectors, with textiles/apparel and electronics manufacturing taking the biggest hit. MNI reports North Carolina lost 10% of its textile/apparel jobs, down 9,716, with the sector still ranking as the state’s largest industry by employment, with 89,030 jobs. Textile and apparel plants shutting down include Hanesbrands, which closed plants in Statesville and Winston-Salem, a Clayson Knitting plant that closed in Star, a Hickory-based Joan Fabric upholstery plant and R.L. Stone, which closed its Belmont-based yarn spinning plant.

Electronics manufacturing lost 3,862 jobs, or 8.5% and currently employs 41,655. Other sectors losing employment include lumber and wood, down 5.7%; furniture and fixtures, down 5.1%; paper and allied products, down 3.8% and printing and publishing, down 3.6%. Food products and fabricated metal manufacturing were the only two sectors to gain employment, with food up 3% and fabricated metals up 2.5%.

MNI’s city data shows Charlotte is home to the most industrial jobs and plants in North Carolina, accounting for 983 manufacturers employing 45,058, ranking 3rd in the Southeast for number of manufacturing jobs. MNI reports industrial jobs have remained steady in Charlotte over the past 12 months, despite a 1.5% loss for the city reported in the 2006-2007 period. Greensboro accounts for the second most jobs in the state at 31,061 jobs, down 3.7% over the year. Hickory ranks third with 15,472 jobs, down 9.7% in 2007, while fourth-ranked Winston-Salem accounts for 17,741 jobs, down 5.4%.

Detailed profiles of North Carolina’s 11,725 manufacturers and 1,266 industrial distributors can be found in the 2008 North Carolina Manufacturers Register, available in print for $136 and on CD-ROM from $215. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 36,850 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.