Industrial Directory Reports New Mexico Gained Manufacturing Jobs Over Past Year
EVANSTON, Ill., March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in New Mexico increased about a half percent over the past twelve months according to the 2012 New Mexico Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports New Mexico gained 386 industrial jobs between January 2011 and January 2012.
Manufacturers' News reports New Mexico is now home to 2,098 manufacturers employing 55,313 workers.
"The recovery is gaining momentum in New Mexico and across the U.S," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "The state boasts an educated workforce and green-tech focus paired with abundant natural resources."
Bright spots for the state include the opening of the state's largest solar power plant, built by Xcel Energy and Sun Edison in Carlsbad; the expansion of Leprino Foods' cheese plant in Roswell; Snap Green Industries new plastics recycling plant in Chaparral; and Joule Unlimited Inc's announcement it would open a biofuels plant in Hobbs and possibly employ 500 workers, depending on the scale of production.
MNI reports New Mexico's largest industrial sectors saw the biggest gains in employment, with oil and gas extraction ranking first with 8,441 jobs, up 11.3% over the year. Electronics manufacturing ranks second with 7,987 jobs, up 1% over the past twelve months. Food products accounts for 5,998 of the state's industrial jobs, up 3.3%.
Other industrial sectors that gained jobs included transportation equipment, up 6.2% and chemicals, up 1%. Losses were seen in stone/clay/glass, down 6.2%; primary metals, down 6%; furniture/fixtures, down 5.9%; textiles/apparel, down 5%; printing/publishing, down 3.2%; rubber/plastics, down 2%; and fabricated metals, down 1.9%.
According to MNI, the lumber/wood sector saw the worst decline in employment, down 25%, due partially to the closure of Merillat's Los Lunas cabinetry plant.
Northwest New Mexico accounts for the largest share of the state's industrial employment with 35,467 jobs, down 1.6% over the year. Southeast New Mexico accounts for 10,861 jobs, up 7.5%, while Southwest New Mexico is home to 5,138, up 2.6%. Northeast New Mexico accounts for 3,847 jobs, up 1.6% over the past twelve months.
Albuquerque remains the state's top city by industrial employment with 19,312 manufacturing jobs, down 1.1% over the year. Rio Rancho accounts for 6,272 jobs, with no significant change reported. Jobs were also virtually unchanged in Farmington, with the city home to 4,821 industrial workers. Hobbs accounts for 3,243 jobs, up 4.1%, while fifth-ranked Carlsbad accounts for 2,497 jobs, up 6.3%.
Detailed profiles of New Mexico's 2,098 manufacturers and 426 distributors can be found in the 2012 New Mexico Manufacturers Register, available in print for $88, or available online through MNI's subscription-based service at www.ezselect.com. Users may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using a variety of criteria, including area or zip code, county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 7,096 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, and number of employees. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide, and has recently launched an expansion and relocation guide for manufacturers.
Manufacturers' News, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest publisher of state manufacturers directories. For 100 years the company has identified, researched and profiled manufacturing establishments. MNI employs an 85-person editorial staff to scour yellow pages, trade journals, financial reports, and many other sources to pinpoint every manufacturing establishment in the U.S. Each manufacturer is contacted throughout the year to update their profiles, including their employee counts. For more information, contact Manufacturers' News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100. www.manufacturersnews.com. Information is also available on Facebook and Twitter.
SOURCE Manufacturers' News, Inc.
Share this article