Montana Manufacturing Job Growth Stalls

October 20, 2015 | By Business Wire News

EVANSTON, Ill.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc./– After posting three straight years of gains, manufacturing employment stalled in Montana over the past year, reports the 2016 Montana Manufacturers Directory^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to MNI’s database of manufacturers, Montana lost 191 industrial jobs from August 2014 to August 2015, or a half percent, its first loss since the 2010-2011 survey period.

MNI reports Montana is now home to 1,740 manufacturers employing 29,376 workers. MNI reports the state’s industrial employment levels rose 2.1% between August 2011 and August 2014, after dropping 13% during the recession.

“Depressed global markets, falling gas prices, and a shortage of skilled workers have contributed to the waning growth in Montana’s industrial sector,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, many community colleges across the state are developing unique programs for manufacturing, and this may signal a brighter future for many of Montana’s industries.”

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Losses were reported in primary metals, down 18%; rubber/plastics, down 15%; transportation equipment, down 3.9%; and printing/publishing, down 3.6%. Losses were offset by gains in chemical processing, up 12%; textiles/apparel, up 7.2%; and oil/gas extraction, up 5.9%.

Employment in lumber/wood remained virtually unchanged over the year, and remains the state’s top industry by number of jobs, employing 3,725.

Manufacturing jobs in Billings fell a half percent over the year, with the first-ranked city home to 4,427 jobs. Employment fell 3.8% in Kalispell, and declined 1% in both Bozeman and Missoula.

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