Massachusetts Industrial Employment Declined over Past Year

November 4, 2015 | By Business Wire News

EVANSTON, Ill.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc./– Industrial employment in Massachusetts declined slightly over the past year, reports the 2016 Massachusetts Manufacturers Register^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to MNI’s database of manufacturers, Massachusetts shed 1,204 industrial jobs from August 2014 to August 2015, about a third of one percent.

MNI reports Massachusetts is now home to 7,918 manufacturers employing 369,925 workers. Employment in the state’s industrial sector was little changed over the past five years, with jobs down a net half percent since August of 2010, after dropping nearly 8% from August 2007-August 2010.

“High business costs combined with depressed global markets continue to put a dent in Massachusetts’ employment growth, particularly in its historically strong industries such as electronics,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, the state boasts a top-notch workforce, which has helped to establish many innovative and high-tech start-ups. Agencies such as UMass Lowell’s innovation hub and the Medical Device Development Center are also having an influence on the state’s growing medical devices sector.”

For the full report, including a regional analysis, click here or visit http://www.mni.net/news

MNI reports employment losses were led by the electronics industry, which declined by 4.6%. Electronics manufacturing accounts for the third-most factory employment in Massachusetts, employing 45,551. Medical instruments/related products ranks first with 49,950 jobs, up 1% over the year, while second-ranked industrial machinery held steady at 47,746 workers.

MNI report jobs in the lumber/wood sector fell 6.3%, and transportation equipment declined 4.3%. Most other industries in Massachusetts reported little to no change in employment.

Manufacturing employment in Boston rose 6.3%, with the first-ranked city home to 13,994 jobs.

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