State Industrial Directory Reports Illinois Manufacturing Jobs Down 1.5%; Plants Down 1.9%

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, Jan. 30th, 2008/Manufacturers’ News, Inc/-- Industrial employment in Illinois shrank by 1.5% over the past 12 months according to the 2008 Illinois Manufacturers Directory, published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI (http://www.manufacturersnews.com) reports Illinois lost 14,357 industrial jobs and 425 manufacturers since November 2006, a smaller loss compared to the 2.7% employment drop MNI reported for the state a year ago.

Northeastern Illinois accounts for nearly 70% of the state’s jobs, down 1.6% over the year, with 359,421 of these jobs located in Cook County. MNI reports Cook County suffered most of the state’s decline, down 4% or 15,019 jobs over the year. At the same time, many of the collar counties gained manufacturing jobs, with Lake County up 2.8%; DeKalb up 2.4%; Kane 3.6% and Will County up 5.3%.

MNI’s study shows Illinois’ 1.5% loss falls in the middle when compared to other Midwestern states. According to earlier MNI reports, North Dakota saw just a half percent drop while Iowa increased employment by 2.6%. Wisconsin reported a loss of 1.5%, Indiana lost 2.4%, Missouri lost 4% and Michigan 2.3%.

“This is a trend we’ve seen in other states,” says Thomas Dubin, President of Manufacturers’ News. “Even though manufacturing activity is at a record high, industrial employment is stagnant or declining. Part of it is the result of manufacturing jobs moving out of the country, and of mergers, acquisitions and consolidation, but much of it has to do with the nature of today's manufacturing. Thanks to automation and technology, fewer employees are needed. Instead of four low-skilled workers on an assembly line, you now may have one worker entering numerical codes into a computer that controls the manufacturing process."

Manufacturers’ News reports Illinois is home to 21,503 manufacturers employing 935,032 workers. Illinois ranks 3rd in the nation for number of manufacturing plants and fourth for industrial employment, accounting for 20% of the Midwest’s manufacturers and 17% of the region’s jobs. MNI surveys manufacturers of all sizes, including small companies with just a few employees

The industrial machinery and equipment sector accounts for the most manufacturing jobs in Illinois, representing 15% of the state’s industrial employment or 147,653 jobs. MNI reports employment in this sector has remained steady, down just 1,297 jobs from last year. Construction machinery accounts for 13,990 of these jobs, up 3.4% over the year. Manufacturers of fabricated metal products employ another 107,602 workers, down 4.7% or 5,279 over the year while food products manufacturing employs 99,832, up 1.3% since November 2006.

Sectors losing employment include furniture and fixtures, down 8.8%; paper and allied products down 3%; primary metals, down 4.6%; and printing/publishing, down 2.5%. Sectors showing growth include lumber and wood, up 448 or 2.3% over the year and chemicals, up 934 or 1.8%.
Chicago is home to the most industrial jobs and plants in Illinois, accounting for 3,141 manufacturers employing 130,483. MNI reports Chicago lost 6,259 of its industrial jobs and 94 of its manufacturers, 4.6% and 2.9%, respectively, over the past 12 months. According to MNI’s city rankings, Chicago ranks 2nd nationwide for number of manufacturers and 3rd for related jobs.

Rockford accounts for the second most jobs in the state at 26,147 jobs, with no significant change reported. Elk Grove Village ranks third at 23,312 jobs, down 2,097 or 8.3% over the year, while fourth-ranked Franklin Park is home to 14,966 jobs, down 959 or 6%. Des Plaines ranks fifth in the state with 12,927 jobs, down 9.8% or 1,404 jobs since November 2006.

Northwest Illinois accounts for 89,764 jobs or 9.6% of the state, down 902 jobs or 1% over the year. East and West Central Illinois account for a combined 124,618 jobs, with East Central jobs down 4.2% over the year, and employment in West Central unchanged from last year. Southwest Illinois accounts for 40,373, down 7.5 or 1.7% while Southeast Illinois saw employment increase, up 3.6% over the year for a total of 29,472 manufacturing jobs.

Detailed profiles of Illinois’ 21,503 manufacturers and 27 industrial distributors can be found in the 2008 Illinois Manufacturers Directory, available in print for $198 and on CD-ROM from $270. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 61,852 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.