Manufacturing Jobs in Washington State Increased 1% Over Past Year

EVANSTON, Ill., April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Washington State increased by 1% over the past twelve months according to the 2012 Washington Manufacturers Directory®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Washington gained 2,831 industrial jobs between February 2011 and February 2012. 

Manufacturers' News reports Washington is now home to 6,691 manufacturers employing 295,931 workers.

"The recovery is gaining momentum in Washington and across the U.S.," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "Overseas demand, particularly for aerospace components, has boosted exports, and the state's access to capital and investments in innovative technologies has been a draw for a variety of enterprises."

Bright spots for the state include the opening of Achilles USA's plastic film production facility in Everett; the opening of BMW's new automotive carbon fibers plant in Moses Lake; and the planned expansion of  aerospace facilities Umbra Cuscinetti and Tect Aerospace, both in Everett.

According to MNI, the state's three top sectors by employment all posted job gains over the survey period. Transportation equipment manufacturing remains the state's largest industrial sector by employment with 48,683 jobs, up a half percent over the year. Food products manufacturing ranks second with 38,870 jobs, up 5% over the past twelve months. Third-ranked industrial machinery and equipment accounts for 29,583 jobs, up 3.7%.

MNI reports other sectors that gained jobs over the year included electronics, up 7%; chemicals/allied products, up 4%; and instruments/related products, up 1.9%. Losses were seen in paper products, down 11.4%, following the closure of Kimberly-Clark's paper mill in Everett and Grays Harbor Paper in Hoquiam.  Furniture/fixtures declined 4.7%; lumber/wood fell 4.1%, printing/publishing dropped 3.4%; and stone/clay/glass fell 2.2%.

Northwest Washington accounts for the most industrial employment in the state with 195,861 jobs, up a half percent over the past twelve months, according to MNI. Southwest Washington accounts for 61,499 jobs, down  2.3%, while Northeast Washington accounts for 21,016, up 1.7%. The Southeast region is home to 17,555 industrial workers, up 1.8% over the survey period.  

Seattle remains the state's top city by industrial employment with 40,499 manufacturing jobs, up 4.8% over the year. Redmond accounts for 38,635 industrial jobs, up 1%. Manufacturing employment decreased by 1.2% in Everett, with the third-ranked city home to 29,270 industrial workers, while Kent accounts for 17,138 of the state's jobs, down a half percent. Fifth-ranked Spokane accounts for 12,331 jobs, down a half percent over the survey period. 

Detailed profiles of Washington's 6,691 manufacturers and 1,143 distributors can be found in the 2012 Washington Manufacturers Directory®, available in print for $118, or available online through MNI's subscription-based service at www.ezselect.com. Users may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using a variety of criteria, including area or zip code, county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 23,197 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, and number of employees. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide, and has recently launched an expansion and relocation guide for manufacturers.

Manufacturers' News, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest publisher of state manufacturers directories.  For 100 years the company has identified, researched and profiled manufacturing establishments. MNI employs an 85-person editorial staff to scour yellow pages, trade journals, financial reports, and many other sources to pinpoint every manufacturing establishment in the U.S. Each manufacturer is contacted throughout the year to update their profiles, including their employee counts. For more information, contact Manufacturers' News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100. www.manufacturersnews.com. Information is also available on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Manufacturers' News, Inc.