Vermont Industrial Jobs Have Declined 5.6% Since Start of Recession

EVANSTON, Ill, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Vermont has fallen 5.6% since the beginning of the recession according to the 2010 Vermont Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Vermont lost 2,894 manufacturing jobs since December 2007, with 1,197 jobs lost between December 2007 and December 2008 and 1,697 industrial jobs from 2008 to December of 2009. Over the same period of time, Vermont lost 154 manufacturers, or nearly ten percent of its industrial companies. Looking back even further, over an eight-year period Vermont lost 9,921 industrial jobs or 17% of its industrial employment.

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Manufacturers' News reports Vermont is now home to 1,516 manufacturers employing 48,360 workers. Vermont's losses are smaller compared to those seen in other New England states with Maine's industrial sector down 7.7%, New Hampshire's down 7.5% and Massachusetts' down 6.4%, according to earlier MNI reports.

"As with the entire nation, the recession continues to hit Vermont's core sectors, while the faltering housing market has affected industries such as wood products and building products," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912.

Employment in the furniture/fixtures sector experienced the sharpest decline, down 33.4% over the past twenty-four months, due mostly to layoffs at Ethan Allen.

MNI reports electronics remains Vermont's largest manufacturing sector by employment with 8,259 jobs, with no significant change reported over the two years. Second-ranked food manufacturing accounts for 5,234 jobs, down 8.6% over the survey period, while third-ranked industrial machinery and equipment accounts for 4,508 jobs, down 3.8% over the past twenty-four months.

Most other sectors in Vermont lost jobs within the past two years and include transportation equipment, down 15.4%, following the closure of auto supplier Lydall Inc., and layoffs at NSK Steering, among others. Stone/clay/glass fell 14.7%; textiles/apparel were down 11.3%; lumber/wood down 10%; printing/publishing down 7.9% and chemicals/allied products down 7.1%. Slight gains were seen in paper products, up 2.8%; rubber/plastics up 2% and fabricated metals up 1.8%

Despite the losses, some bright spots have emerged recently including the openings of Vermont Wood Pellet Co.; rubber protective gear maker AirBoss in Milton; and BEMAG Transformers, which opened a factory in St. Albans Industrial Park in early 2009.

MNI's city data shows Essex Junction is the state's top city for manufacturing employment, accounting for 6,905 industrial jobs, up 4.5% over the past twenty-four months. Second-ranked Burlington accounts for 3,790 industrial jobs, down 8.7% over the past two years. Industrial jobs in Rutland declined 2.2%, with the city home to 2,120 jobs. Milton is home to 1,929 jobs, up 1.5%, while jobs increased another 1.5% in South Burlington, with the fifth-ranked city representing 1,710 of Vermont's industrial jobs.

Detailed profiles of Vermont's 1,516 manufacturers and 274 industrial distributors can be found in the 2010 Vermont Manufacturers Register, available in print for $77 and on CD-ROM from $95. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 4,755 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. Information also available on facebook and twitter.

SOURCE Manufacturers' News, Inc.