Florida Industrial Jobs Declined 2.9% Over Past Year
EVANSTON, Ill., April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Florida fell 2.9% over the past twelve months according to the 2011 Florida Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Florida lost 14,520 industrial jobs and 269 manufacturers between March 2010 and March 2011, a much smaller loss than the nearly 40,000 jobs and 932 manufacturers MNI reported the state lost over the 2009-2010 survey period.
Manufacturers' News reports Florida is now home to 14,659 manufacturers employing 485,474 workers.
"Florida'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 investments in innovative technologies are helping the recovery take hold."
Bright spots for the state include the opening of Embraer's airplane assembly plant in Melbourne; Luvata Electrofin's facility in Tampa; Raptor Technology Group's biodiesel plant in Fort Lauderdale; the world's first hybrid solar energy facility in Martin County; as well as the expansions of Packaging Corp. of America in Winter Haven and the relocation of Signature Brands' popcorn plant from Chicago to Ocala.
Electronics manufacturing ranks as the state's largest industrial sector by employment, with 52,246 jobs, with no significant change reported. Printing and publishing ranks second with 46,519 jobs, down 5.8%. Fabricated metals manufacturing accounts for 44,861 of the state's jobs, down 6.6%.
Industries related to the housing sector continue to dominate Florida's industrial job losses with stone/clay/glass down 8.2%; lumber/wood down 7.4%; and furniture/fixtures down 5.9%. Rubber/plastics and textiles/apparel both declined 4% and industrial machinery and equipment fell 2.6%. Jobs were steady in food products and paper products, while chemicals increased 6.8% and transportation equipment was up 1.4%.
Companies shutting down over the year included Constar International, which closed a plant in Orlando; General Electric, which closed its facility in Palmetto; Niles Audio, which shut down its Miami plant; and Ivory International in Miami.
MNI reports Central Florida accounts for the most industrial employment in the state, with 220,687 industrial jobs, down 1.6% over twelve months. South Florida accounts for 176,845 jobs, down 3.1%. The Northeast region of the state is home to 60,103 industrial workers, down 6 %, while the Panhandle is home to 27,873, with no significant change reported.
Miami has overtaken Jacksonville as the state's top city by industrial employment with 37,622 manufacturing jobs, down 4.7% over the year. Jacksonville saw employment decrease 5.5% and is currently home to 37,409 industrial workers. Orlando accounts for 33,352 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported, while Tampa accounts for 26,670 of the state's jobs, down 3.9%. Fifth-ranked Fort Lauderdale accounts for 14,831 jobs, down 4.2% over the survey period.
Detailed profiles of Florida's 14,659 manufacturers and 2,018 industrial distributors can be found in the 2011 Florida Manufacturers Register, available in print for $182 and on CD-ROM from $266. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 45,605 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