Manufacturing Jobs Increased 2.7% In Upstate New York, Remain Stable Statewide, Reports Industrial Directory

EVANSTON, Ill., Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in New York State remained virtually unchanged over the past twelve months, while employment was up 2.7% in Upstate New York, according to the 2013 New York Manufacturers Register^®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Upstate New York gained 1,361 industrial jobs between August 2011 and August 2012, while the rest of the state lost 294 jobs.

Manufacturers' News reports New York State is now home to 16,922 manufacturers employing 733,548 workers.

"New York continues to see its manufacturing sector improve, with fewer losses reported over the past couple years and a slight gain reported for this survey period," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "Despite its high business costs, the state still has the advantage of a highly-educated workforce and access to capital."

Several manufacturers operating in New York reported expansions over the year, including Bombardier Transportation's plant in Plattsburgh; Koike Aronson, Inc.'s factory in Arcade; Bio-Botanica's facility in Suffolk County; and two yogurt plants: Argo Farma Inc. in Chenango County and Fage USA in Johnstown. In addition, General Electric Co. opened a new battery manufacturing plant in Schenectady and recently expanded hiring at the new site, while PepsiCo, in conjunction with German-based dairy company Theo Muller, announced plans to open a new yogurt plant in Batavia.

Printing and publishing remains the state's top industrial sector by employment, accounting for 116,441 jobs, with no significant change reported. Employment in industrial machinery and equipment also remained stable, with the second-ranked sector accounting for 78,845 jobs. Third-ranked electronics registered a half-percent increase and currently employs 71,519.

Industrial sectors that gained jobs over the year included petroleum and coal products, up 8.4%; miscellaneous manufacturing, up 5%; chemicals, up 2.7%; primary metals, up 1.2% and food products, up 1%. Losses were seen in furniture/fixtures, down 8.8%; transportation equipment, down 4.8%; lumber/wood, down 3.9%; and paper products, down 2.7%. 

Industrial locations announcing closures included Steuben Glass Company's factory in Corning; Crawford Furniture in Jamestown; Vertis Communications' plant in Saugerties; and a Birds Eye factory in Fulton.

MNI reports the New York Metro Area, including the New York City exurbs, accounts for 397,214 manufacturing jobs, up nearly 1% over the past twelve months. The Western region of the state accounts for the second-most industrial jobs with 188,204 industrial jobs, virtually unchanged from a year ago. Rochester and Buffalo represent 35% of these jobs, with Rochester home to 44,296 workers and Buffalo home to 22,685. Central New York is home to 98,013 industrial workers, down 2.4%, while the Upstate/Adirondack region accounts for 50,117 of the state's jobs, up 2.7% over the past twelve months.  

Detailed profiles of New York's 16,922 manufacturers and 2,486 distributors can be found in the 2013 New York Manufacturers Register^®, available in print for $209, 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), 52,063 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 state business registrations, 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.