Wisconsin Industrial Guide's Report Shows 2.1% Loss In Manufacturing Jobs

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




EVANSTON, Ill, August 4, 2008/Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in Wisconsin dropped 2.1% over the past 12 months according to the 2009 Wisconsin Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. The Register reports Wisconsin shed 13,276 industrial jobs from June 2007 to June 2008, the heaviest loss MNI has reported for the state over the past several years.

According to earlier MNI reports, Wisconsin saw a 1.5% drop in industrial employment between June 2006 and June 2007, and the state saw a 3% jump in manufacturing jobs over the previous two years, with a 1.7% gain reported in the 2004-2005 period and a 1.4% increase posted over the 05-06 survey year.

“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 Wisconsin is home to 12,439 manufacturers employing 631,313 workers, and ranks tenth in the U.S. for number of manufacturing jobs. Wisconsin’s losses are in line with states across the Midwest with Illinois’ industrial employment down 1.5%, Minnesota’s down 1.7%, Indiana’s down 2.2%, and Michigan manufacturing jobs down 5%, according to other reports by the industrial directory.

Wisconsin’s largest industries reported little to no significant employment change over the past 12 months, according to the manufacturers guide. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks as the state’s largest sector with 110,062 jobs listed in the new edition, up a half percent over the year. The fabricated metals sector ranks second and employs 71,022, with no change reported over the year. Food products manufacturing accounts for 67,255, down a half percent over the past twelve months.

MNI reports the lumber and wood industry weathered a 10% decline in employment, down 3,417 jobs. Paper and allied products dropped 7.3% following the closure of Port Edward’s Domtar paper mill and Kimberly-Clark’s diaper mill in Menasha. Rubber/miscellaneous plastic products were down 7.8% and employment in the transportation equipment sector fell 9.1%.

The industrial directory reports Southeast Wisconsin accounts for 55% of the state’s industrial employment, with 345,979 jobs, down 2.7% or 9,562 over the past twelve months. Central Wisconsin accounts for 196,036 jobs, down 2,038 or 1.1% over the year. Southwest Wisconsin is home to 47,470 workers, down a half percent over the year, while Northern Wisconsin accounts for 38,828 jobs, down 3.1% or 1,262 jobs.

MNI’s city data shows Milwaukee is the state’s industrial capital with 62,966 of the state’s manufacturing jobs, down 2% over the year. MNI reports Milwaukee ranks among the top industrial cities in the US, ranking 15th in the nation for number of manufacturing jobs and 21st for related plants. Green Bay ranks second in the state with 24,406 jobs, down a half percent over the year while Madison is home to 19,660 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported over the year. Fourth-ranked Waukesha represents 17,950 industrial jobs in Wisconsin, up 2.5% over the year, while industrial employment in Appleton is down 3.1% and is currently home to 15,893 workers.

Detailed profiles of Wisconsin’s 12,439 manufacturers and 1,393 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Wisconsin Manufacturers Register, available in print for $137 and on CD-ROM from $219. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 39,686 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.