Iowa Lost Fewer Manufacturing Jobs in 2010

EVANSTON, Ill., March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Iowa changed little in 2010, down just 1.4% according to the 2011 Iowa Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Iowa lost 3,972 industrial jobs between January 2010 and January 2011, much smaller than the nearly 15,000 manufacturing jobs the state lost over MNI's 2009-2010 survey period.

Manufacturers' News reports Iowa is now home to 5,554 manufacturers employing 265,030 workers.

"Many of Iowa's industrial sectors continue to be affected by the housing bust and the recession," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "However, losses have slowed considerably, and the state's educated workforce and agricultural base are helping the recovery take hold."

Bright spots for the state include many new and expanded food manufacturers such as Hormel's new production facility in Dubuque; Bushman Family Farms chicken processing plant in Charles City; Global Foods new plant in Sioux City and the expansion of Custom Poultry LLC, also in Charles City. Ryerson Inc., Enervation, and Greenstar North America have also announced openings, while hydraulic lift maker Woodbine Manufacturing and Unverferth Manufacturing in Shell Rock have announced expansions.

Food products manufacturing remains Iowa's largest industrial sector by employment with 56,877 jobs, virtually unchanged over the year, despite layoffs at Tyson Foods. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks second with 45,924 jobs, down 4.3%, following the closures of Rockwell Automation in Sumner, Terex Cedarapids and Thermo Fisher Scientific in Dubuque. Third-ranked fabricated metals account for 21,192 jobs, down 4% over the past twelve months, due partially to layoffs at Larson Manufacturing, among others.

Sectors that lost jobs over the past twelve months included electronics down 7.6%, following layoffs at Electrolux, among others. Textiles/apparel declined 5.4%; furniture/fixtures fell 5.1% and lumber/wood dropped 4.7%. Employment remained steady in paper products, primary metals and transportation equipment, while gains were seen in petroleum products, up 10.4%; chemicals up 5.6%, rubber/plastics up 1.2% and printing/publishing, also up 1.2%.

The East Central region of Iowa accounts for the most industrial employment in the state with 93,084 jobs, with no significant change reported for 2010. Southeast Iowa is home to 59,070 industrial workers, virtually unchanged over the year, while the West Central region accounts for 50,636, down 4.1%. Northeast Iowa saw manufacturing employment decline 3.1% and represents 23,296 of the state's jobs, while jobs remained steady in Northwest Iowa, with the region currently home to 23,065 industrial workers. Southwest Iowa accounts for 15,879 manufacturing jobs, up 2.1%.

Cedar Rapids remains the state's top city by industrial employment with 19,809 manufacturing jobs, up 1.4% over the year. Des Moines accounts for 17,317 jobs, down 1.1%. Waterloo saw employment decrease 2.1% and is currently home to 12,873 industrial workers, while Davenport accounts for 8,646 of the state's jobs, down 1.3%. Fifth-ranked Dubuque accounts for 8,345 jobs, down 5.9% in 2010.  

Detailed profiles of Iowa's 5,554 manufacturers and 681 industrial distributors can be found in the 2011 Iowa Manufacturers Register®, available in print for $106 and on CD-ROM from $170. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 19,920 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.