Iowa Gains Manufacturing Jobs for Fourth Straight Year

May 4, 2015 | By Business Wire News

EVANSTON, Ill.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc.– Manufacturing employment increased in Iowa for a fourth straight year, reports the 2015 Iowa Manufacturers Register ^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to data collected by MNI, Iowa manufacturers added 2,204 jobs from February 2014 to February 2015, a one percent increase.

Manufacturers’ News reports Iowa is now home to 5,291 manufacturers employing 269,067 workers. Industrial employment in Iowa rose 4% since February of 2011, recovering 41% of jobs lost during the recession, but lagging behind the 5.8% national average increase reported by the Labor Department for the same time period.

“With its low business costs, access to capital, and diverse economy, manufacturers continue to find Iowa a great place to do business,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, the state could benefit from greater workforce initiatives as many manufacturing positions go unfilled due to a lack of skilled workers.”

According to MNI’s database, gains were led by the industrial machinery and fabricated metals sectors, which rank second and third, respectively, for number of Iowa factory jobs. Employment in industrial machinery manufacturing rose 3.4% over the year, and employment in the fabricated metals sector climbed 2.9%.

The chemicals sector also posted a gain, up 12.4%, as did electronics, up 10.3% and transportation equipment, up 6.5%.

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MNI reports Cedar Rapids posted a 4.9% increase over the year and ranks as Iowa’s largest city by manufacturing employment with 21,085 jobs. Manufacturing employment also rose 1% in Davenport, but declined 3.8% in Dubuque, and fell 1.6% in Des Moines.

Established in 1912, Manufacturers’ News, Inc. is the nation’s oldest and largest publisher of industrial information. MNI offers a variety of tailored solutions to help customers connect with 430,000 manufacturers and suppliers. MNI’s industrial database subscription service EZ Select allows users to tap into a live interactive database of manufacturers, while its industrial search engine IndustryNet connects buyers and suppliers and allows users to view profiles and obtain competitive quotes. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc. 847-864-7000. http://www.manufacturersnews.com