Arizona Industrial Jobs Declined 1.7% Over Past Year
EVANSTON, Ill., May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Arizona fell 1.7% over the past twelve months according to the 2011 Arizona Manufacturers Directory®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Arizona lost 3,917 industrial jobs and 55 manufacturers between March 2010 and March 2011, less than half the loss MNI reported for the 2009-2010 survey period.
Manufacturers' News reports Arizona is now home to 5,466 manufacturers employing 217,807 workers.
"Arizona'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 agricultural base and investments in solar technologies are helping the recovery take hold."
Bright spots for the state included the announcement that Intel plans to build a $5 billion chip plant in the state, creating thousands of jobs; the opening of Rioglass Solar's new facility in Surprise; the planned opening of Arizona Corrugated Containers' box plant in Mesa; and the opening of Suntech Solar's new facility in Goodyear, which recently added a shift and doubled production of its solar panels.
MNI reports the state's largest industrial sectors recorded little to no change in employment over the survey period. The transportation equipment sector employs the most manufacturing workers in the state with 30,882 jobs, virtually unchanged from a year ago. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks second with 26,897 jobs, down 3.6%, while third-ranked fabricated metals accounts for 24,730 jobs, with no significant change reported.
According to MNI, sectors that lost jobs over the past twelve months included stone/clay/glass, down 11.5%; lumber/wood down 11.4%; furniture/fixtures down 8.1%; paper products down 7%; and textiles/apparel down 6.1%. Gains were seen in chemicals, up 1.9% and food products, up 1%.
Companies closing down included Owens Corning, which shuttered its insulation manufacturing plant in Eloy; Tempe-Inland Inc., which closed its cardboard box plant in Glendale; and Mesa Citrus Growers processing plant in Mesa.
Phoenix remains the state's top city by industrial employment with 75,301 manufacturing jobs, down 1.2% over the year. Tucson saw employment decrease 2.9% and is currently home to 30,235 industrial workers. Chandler accounts for 22,925 with no change reported, while Tempe accounts for 18,993 of the state's jobs, down 4%. Fifth-ranked Scottsdale accounts for 12,651 jobs, down 4.6% over the past twelve months.
Detailed profiles of Arizona's 5,466 manufacturers and 1,013 industrial distributors can be found in the 2011 Arizona Manufacturers Directory®, available in print for $106 and on CD-ROM from $171. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 17,859 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.
Share this article