Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff
Manufacturers’ News, Inc.(847) 864-9440 ext. 241
jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, Ill, December 15, 2008/
Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in
Virginia fell just a half percent over the past twelve months according to the 2009
Virginia Manufacturers Directory, a compilation of state industry published annually by
Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (
MNI) Evanston, IL.
MNI (http://
www.manufacturersnews.com) reports
Virginia lost 2,699 industrial jobs from October 2007 to October 2008, a smaller loss compared to the steep industrial employment declines seen across the region and throughout the U.S. over the same time period.
Significant losses were seen among Mid-Atlantic and Southern states, with
Tennessee’s industrial employment down 3.3%,
Kentucky’s down 2.6%,
North Carolina’s down 2.3% and
Pennsylvania’s down 1.2%, according to earlier
MNI reports.
Manufacturers’ News reports
Virginia is home to 7,231 manufacturers employing 374,471 workers and ranks 18th in the nation for number of manufacturers and related jobs.
“As with the entire nation, weakening demand continues to hit many of
Virginia’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. “However,
Virginia’s favorable business climate and growing stronghold in the automotive industry should continue to help the state attract and retain industrial facilities.”
According to
MNI,
Virginia’s largest sector by employment is transportation equipment, with 38,837 of the state’s jobs, up 1% over the year thanks to expansions by Roanoke Valley manufacturers such as JTEKT Automotive and Dynax America Corp. Food products ranks second with 37,472 jobs, down slightly after layoffs at Pilgrim’s Pride in Timberville, among others. Third-ranked printing and publishing represents 36,600 of the state’s jobs, up 1.8% over the past twelve months.
Other sectors gaining jobs include fabricated metals manufacturing, up 3.3% and electronics, up 7.9%.
Sectors losing jobs over the year include textiles and apparel, down 10%, due partially to Unifi Inc’s closure of its Stauton-based polyester plant. Furniture/fixtures were down another 10% and paper/allied products fell 4.1%. Jobs in lumber and wood fell 3.4%, following the closure of Chesapeake Hardwood Products, among others, while industrial machinery and equipment decreased 1.3%. Manufacturing jobs in the chemicals sector were down slightly at 1%.
Richmond is home to the most industrial jobs in
Virginia, accounting for 37,197 jobs, up 1.5% over the year. Newport News accounts for 26,890 jobs, down a half percent. Roanoke jobs are up 2.9% with the third-ranked city home to 12,581 workers. Norfolk accounts for 12,121 of the state’s jobs, up 1%, while Lynchburg is home to 11,523 industrial workers, with employment down 1.5%.
Detailed profiles of
Virginia’s 7,231 manufacturers and 1,109 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009
Virginia Manufacturers Directory, available in print for $106 and on CD-ROM from $174. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 24,036 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.
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