North Carolina Manufacturing Jobs Down 1.6% Over Past Year

EVANSTON, Ill., March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in North Carolina changed little over the past twelve months, down just 1.6% according to the 2011 North Carolina Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports North Carolina lost 9,673 industrial jobs between January 2010 and January 2011, much smaller than the 60,000 jobs MNI reported the state lost over the 2009-2010 survey period.  

Manufacturers' News reports North Carolina is now home to 10,507 manufacturers employing 562,755 workers.

"North Carolina'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 investments in innovative technologies are helping the recovery take hold."

Bright spots over the year included several plant opening such as IMMI's new facility in High Point, which will supply school bus seats to neighboring Thomas Built Buses; wood products manufacturer Uniboard's new facility in Moncure; the state's first ethanol plant, Clean Burn Fuels, LLC in Dendatrrach; Americhem's new facility in Liberty; Tuscarora Yarns in China Grove; and Spirit AeroSystems in Kinston. Companies closing down included Dell's computer plant in Winston-Salem, Palm Harbor Homes in Albemarle and a Hanesbrands facility in Winston-Salem.

Textiles/apparel remains the state's largest industrial sector by employment with 63,164 jobs, down 5.7% over the year. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks second with 63,320 jobs, virtually unchanged over the year. Third-ranked food products accounts for 57,329 jobs, up 1% over the past twelve months.

MNI reports sectors that lost jobs over the past twelve months included electronics down 7.7%; primary metals down 4.9%; fabricated metals down 4.4%; printing/publishing down 4.1%; lumber/wood down 3.6%; stone/clay/glass down 3.5%; and furniture/fixtures down 2.7%. Jobs remained steady in rubber/plastics, transportation equipment, and chemicals, while paper products saw an increase of 1.6% and instruments/related products a gain of 1.8%.

The Northwest region of North Carolina accounts for the largest share of the state's manufacturing employment, with 254,624 jobs, virtually unchanged from a year ago. The Northeast region accounts for 139,805 jobs, down 2.9% over the past twelve months. The Southwest is home to 106,295 jobs, down 1.2%, while the Southeast accounts for 62,031, down 5.6%.

Charlotte remains the state's top city by industrial employment with 40,727 manufacturing jobs, up nearly 1% over the year. Greensboro accounts for 29,493 jobs, with no significant change reported. Research Triangle Park saw employment increase 3.4% and is currently home to 21,932 industrial workers, while High Point accounts for 15,473 jobs, with no change reported. Fifth-ranked Winston-Salem accounts for 15,178 jobs, down 7% over the past twelve months.  

Detailed profiles of North Carolina's 10,507 manufacturers and 1,611 industrial distributors can be found in the 2011 North Carolina Manufacturers Register®, available in print for $141 and on CD-ROM from $231. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 38,356 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.  

SOURCE Manufacturers' News, Inc.