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., Feb. 12th, 2008--
Vermont’s industrial employment remained steady over the past 12 months according to the 2008
Vermont Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by
Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (
MNI) Evanston, IL.
MNI (http://
www.manufacturersnews.com) reports
Vermont lost just 149 industrial jobs in 2007, contrary to the steep industrial employment losses seen in New England and the U.S. as a whole, and despite the loss of 34 manufacturers.
Manufacturing employment had been declining in
Vermont for several years, with
MNI data showing a loss of 8,602 jobs or 15% between March 2001 and December 2005. The industrial directory’s last report cited a smaller employment drop of a half percent in 2006. This year’s loss of 149 industrial jobs in
Vermont compares favorably to the losses felt by other New England states, with
Maine’s manufacturing jobs down 2.6% and
New Hampshire’s down 2.5%.
“
Vermont has defied the national trend by retaining its manufacturing jobs over the past few years.” said Tom Dubin, President of Manufacturers’ News. “
Vermont is home to major manufacturers in the computer, electronics and defense industries, and this has helped to offset some of the losses seen in more traditional manufacturing sectors.”
MNI reports
Vermont’s 1.9% loss of manufacturers may be due to the high number of small businesses operating in the state. 52% of
Vermont’s manufacturers employ 5 or fewer, compared to the national average of 34%. According to
MNI data, 73% of companies going out of business in 2007 employed 5 or fewer, with 20% of these companies in the lumber and wood sector and another 20% in the printing and publishing industry.
Manufacturers’ News reports
Vermont is home to 1,670 manufacturers employing 51,258 workers.
Vermont accounts for 5.3% of New England’s industrial jobs and 6.4% of its manufacturers.
MNI surveys manufacturers of all sizes, including small companies with just a few employees.
Electronics manufacturing accounts for the most manufacturing jobs in
Vermont, representing 15% of the state’s industrial employment or 8,225 jobs, with employment in this sector unchanged over the past 12 months. Employment in food products manufacturing also posted no change and accounts for 5,724 jobs. The industrial machinery and equipment sector ranks third at 4,687 jobs, up 3.2% over the year. The transportation equipment sector ranks as the state’s fourth largest at 4,260 jobs, and posted the largest increase in 2007, up 618 jobs or 17%.
Sectors losing employment include lumber and wood, down 14%; furniture, down 6.1%; and rubber and miscellaneous plastics, down 10%. Printing and publishing is down 16% due partially to MetroGroup Corp. closing in Rutland. Sectors showing growth include chemicals and allied products, up 10% over the year.
Essex Junction is home to the most industrial employment in
Vermont, accounting for 6,608 manufacturing jobs, up 1.5% since December 2006. Burlington accounts for the second most jobs in the state at 4,149 jobs with no significant change reported over the year. Brattleboro ranks third with 1,752 employees, up 1.3% while fourth-ranked Rutland accounts for 2,168, up 1.1%. South Burlington accounts for 1,685 industrial jobs, up 3.4% in 2007.
MNI reports Chittenden County’s 350 manufacturers employ 37% of the state’s workers or 18,791 jobs, with employment up 2.9% despite the loss of 11 manufacturers. Rutland County accounts for 5,806 jobs and 186 manufacturers, up 7.4% and 2.8%, respectively.
Detailed profiles of
Vermont’s 1,670 manufacturers and 206 industrial distributors can be found in the 2008
Vermont Manufacturers Register, available in print for $73 and on CD-ROM from $90. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 4,519 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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