Maryland/DC Manufacturing Jobs Decline 2.3% Over Past Year
EVANSTON, Ill., July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Maryland and Washington, D.C. dropped 2.3% over the past twelve months, according to the 2013 Maryland/DC Manufacturers Directory, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Maryland/DC lost 4,419 industrial jobs between May 2011 and May 2012.
Manufacturers' News reports Maryland and the D.C. Metro Area is now home to 4,756 manufacturers employing 180,038 workers.
"Although Maryland's losses are not as severe as those seen in previous years, the state still struggles with decreased demand and the fallout from the housing bust," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "The state's educated workforce, access to capital and investments in innovative technologies will hopefully translate to increased employment in the future."
According to the industrial directory, printing and publishing remains the region's largest manufacturing sector, accounting for 33,541 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported over the past twelve months. Electronics manufacturing accounts for another 20,080 manufacturing jobs, down 9.5% over the year, following layoffs at defense contractor AAI Corp., among others. Third-ranked industrial machinery and equipment manufacturing employs 18,194 workers, down 1.7%.
Other sectors that lost jobs included rubber/plastics, down 10.3%, following the closure of Solo Cup's facility in Owings Mills. Stone/clay/glass declined 8%; primary metals were down 7.7%; fabricated metals, down 4.6%; lumber/wood, down 4.5%; and food products, down 4.2%. Employment remained steady in textiles/apparel; furniture/fixtures; and transportation equipment; while gains were seen in chemicals, up 5.5% and instruments/related products, up 4.3%.
Bright spots over the year include the planned opening of an ELTA North America aerospace facility in Howard County; the establishment and expansion of a Protenergy Natural Foods site in Cambridge; the opening of a MedImmune pharmaceutical plant in Frederick; and GM's recent announcement that it would move some electric vehicle parts production from a factory in Mexico back to its plant in Baltimore County.
Manufacturers' News reports the Central Maryland/District of Columbia area accounts for the most industrial employment in the region, with 143,308 jobs, down 2.4% over the past twelve months. Western Maryland represents 19,064 manufacturing jobs, down 2.3%, while employment in Eastern Maryland fell 2% and is currently home to 17,666 workers.
MNI's city data shows Baltimore remains the region's top city for manufacturing employment with 31,354 industrial workers, down 3.1% over the past 12 months. Washington, DC accounts for 17,057 jobs, up 3% over the past year. Linthicum ranks third in the region with 7,053 industrial workers, with no significant change reported over the year. Employment also remained steady in Columbia, with the fourth-ranked city home to 5,836 industrial jobs. Fifth-ranked Rockville accounts for 5,428 jobs, up 3.9% over the past twelve months.
Detailed profiles of Maryland/DC's 4,756 manufacturers and 963 distributors can be found in the 2013 Maryland/DC Manufacturers Directory®, available in print for $111, 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), 17,135 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.
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