Kansas Manufacturing Jobs Declined in Past Year

July 20, 2015 | By Business Wire News

EVANSTON, Ill.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc. — Manufacturing employment in Kansas dipped slightly over the past twelve months reports the 2015 Kansas Manufacturers Directory ^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to data collected by MNI, Kansas lost 1,421 manufacturing jobs, or a half percent, from April 2014 to April 2015.

Manufacturers’ News reports Kansas is now home to 4,281 manufacturers employing 209,776 workers.

“With its abundant natural resources and low business costs, many manufacturers continue to find Kansas 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’s aviation industry continues to suffer and many businesses struggle to find the skilled workers needed for today’s advanced manufacturing.”

Manufacturers’ News reports the greatest losses were suffered in the state’s transportation equipment sector, down 5.6% over the year. That industry currently accounts for the most manufacturing employment in Kansas with 40,487 of the state’s jobs. The second-ranked food processing industry also posted a decline, with jobs down 1.2%, currently employing 32,837.

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Additional losses were recorded for medical instruments/related products, down 7.1%; electronics, down 4%; printing/publishing, down 3.8%; and stone/clay/glass, down 3.6%.

Declines in those sectors were offset by gains in the state’s rubber/plastics industry, which posted a 7.1% increase over the year. Other sectors on the upswing included chemicals, up 3.5%; paper products, up 3.2%; and lumber/wood, also up 3.2%.

MNI reports Wichita posted a 4% decline over the year. Manufacturing employment rose 1.5% in Kansas City and 2.7% in Lenexa.

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 (www.ezselect.com) allows users to tap into a live interactive database of manufacturers, while its industrial search engine IndustryNet (www.industrynet.com) 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