PRNewswire – Manufacturing employment in Illinois fell 2.9% over the past twelve months according to the 2011 Illinois Manufacturers Directory, an industrial directory published annually since 1912 by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Illinois lost 25,082 industrial jobs and 699 manufacturers between November 2009 and November 2010, roughly half the loss reported over the 2008-2009 survey period.
Manufacturers’ News reports Illinois is now home to 19,380 manufacturers employing 824,902 workers.
“The recession continues to affect Illinois’ manufacturing sector, 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.
Bright spots for the state include the planned expansion of Chrysler’s Belvidere assembly plant; and the expansions of meat processor Trim-Rite in Rantoul, Peerless Industries in Aurora, and pork processor Farmland Foods in Monmouth. In addition, several facilities have broken ground including Earth Friendly Products, which opened a new solar powered facility in Addison; Wanxiang America Corporation, which opened a solar panel manufacturing plant in Rockford; as well as the planned opening of a new Boeing facility in Mascoutah.
MNI reports industrial machinery and equipment remains Illinois’ largest industrial sector by employment with 128,518 jobs, down 3.5%. Second-ranked fabricated metals accounts for 95,222 jobs, down 4.4% over the past twelve months, while third-ranked food products manufacturing accounts for 94,112 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported.
Employment in the lumber/wood sector experienced the sharpest decline, down 10.8% over the past year. Employment in furniture/fixtures fell 5.2%, according to MNI.
Most industrial sectors in Illinois lost jobs within the past year and included textiles/apparel, down 7.5%, following the closure of Seaford Clothing Co. in Rock Island, among others. Electronics declined 5%, after the closure of Bloomington’s GE facility, among others. Stone/clay/glass fell 4.4%; printing/publishing was down 3.2%; rubber/plastics down 2.8%; primary metals down 2.5%; and transportation equipment also down 2.5%, due partially to the closures of Transcraft Corp. in Anna, and Honeywell Hobbs in Springfield.
Manufacturers’ News reports Northeast Illinois accounts for 70% of the state’s industrial employment, with 571,597 jobs, down 3% over the year. Job losses in Cook County represented 55% of the state’s losses, with the region home to 307,756 industrial jobs, down 13,895 or 4.3%. Losses in the collar counties included DuPage, down 2%; McHenry, down 4.4% and Will, down 5.3%, while jobs remained steady in Kane County and increased by 2.4% in Lake County.
Northwest Illinois accounts for 79,434 jobs, down 2.2% over the past twelve months. East Central Illinois is home to 55,660 jobs, down 3.6%, while West Central Illinois accounts for 55,851 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported over the year. Employment in Southwest Illinois fell 8.5% and now accounts for 34,866 jobs, while Southeast Illinois saw a drop of 2%, with the region currently home to 27,494 jobs.
MNI’s city data shows manufacturing employment in Chicago dropped 4.7% over the year, with the city now home to 108,012 industrial jobs. Elk Grove Village has overtaken Rockford as the city with the second most industrial employment in Illinois with 21,171 jobs, down 4.1% over the year. Third-ranked Rockford now accounts for 20,637 jobs, down 11.2%, while Franklin Park is home to 11,639, down 7.3%. Fifth-ranked Decatur is home to 11,378 industrial workers, with jobs steady over the year.
Detailed profiles of Illinois’ 19,380 manufacturers can be found in the 2011 Illinois Manufacturers Directory, available in print in January for $199 and on CD-ROM from $282. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 61,317 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.
CONTACT: Jennifer Ratcliff of Manufacturers’ News, Inc., +1-847-864-9440 ext. 241, jratcliff@manufacturersnews.com
Web Site: http://www.manufacturersnews.com