Industrial Directory Reports Wisconsin Lost Fewer Manufacturing Jobs Over Past Year

EVANSTON, Ill., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Wisconsin fell 2.5% over the past twelve months according to the 2011 Wisconsin Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Wisconsin lost 15,223 industrial jobs and 154 manufacturers between June 2009 and June 2010, roughly half the loss reported for the state by MNI over the 2008-2009 survey period.  

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Manufacturers' News reports Wisconsin is now home to 11,872 manufacturers employing 580,184 workers.

"The recession continues to affect Wisconsin's manufacturing sector, particularly industrial machinery and industries reliant on the housing market. But we're definitely seeing fewer job losses than we did a year ago," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912.

MNI reports industrial machinery and equipment remains the state's largest manufacturing sector by employment, with 100,743 jobs, down 4.7% over the past twelve months following layoffs at Manitowoc Cranes, Schmidt Unisia, and Cequent Performance Products, among others. Fabricated metal products ranks second with 65,254 manufacturing jobs, down 2.9% over the survey period. Third-ranked food products accounts for 64,219 industrial jobs, down 2.1% over the past year.

Other industrial sectors that lost jobs over the past twelve months included lumber and wood, down 10.3%, due partially to closures at Aacer Flooring and Wick Building Systems. Employment in printing/publishing declined 7.7%; furniture/fixtures fell 5.6%; primary metals were down 5.2%; electronics declined 3.2% and textiles/apparel fell 3%.

Employment in transportation equipment and rubber and plastics remained steady over the year, while employment in chemicals manufacturing rose 3.2% and paper products increased 2.1%, according to MNI.

Additional bright spots for the state include the opening of a CalStar Products facility in Caledonia, which will produce environmentally-friendly residential and commercial bricks; the expansion of Marini Tool and Die in Racine; the planned openings of Northwest Asphalt Products in Racine County and American Micro Detection Systems in Milwaukee; and the planned expansions of Kimberly Clark in Menasha, and Palermo Villa Inc. in Milwaukee.  

Manufacturers' News reports Southeast Wisconsin accounts for over half of the state's industrial employment, with 313,412 jobs, down 3.1% over the year. Central Wisconsin accounts for 181,646 industrial jobs, down 2.4% over the year, while Southwest Wisconsin accounts for 49,037, up 3.3% over the past twelve months. Northern Wisconsin is home to 36,089 manufacturing workers, down 5.8% over the past twelve months.

MNI's city data shows Milwaukee is Wisconsin's top city for manufacturing employment, home to 56,013 jobs, down 4.7% over the year. Second-ranked Green Bay accounts for 22,894 jobs, with no significant employment change reported over the year. Madison is home to 18,066 industrial jobs, down 4.8% over the year, while industrial employment in Waukesha was virtually unchanged over the survey year, and is currently home to 17,256 manufacturing jobs. Appleton is home to 14,167, down 3.2% over the past twelve months.

Detailed profiles of Wisconsin's 11,872 manufacturers and 1,584 industrial distributors can be found in the 2011 Wisconsin Manufacturers Register®, available in print for $142 and on CD-ROM from $235. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 41,526 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. Information is also available on facebook and twitter.

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.  

SOURCE Manufacturers' News, Inc.