EVANSTON, Ill., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Rhode Island dropped 4.1% over the past twelve months according to the 2009 Rhode Island Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI (http://www.manufacturersnews.com) reports Rhode Island lost 2,878 industrial jobs from December 2007 to December 2008, continuing the steep losses the state has seen over the past several years.
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Manufacturers' News reports Rhode Island is home to 2,099 manufacturers employing 68,077 workers. Rhode Island's job losses echo those seen across New England with Maine and New Hampshire's industrial employment each down 1.5% over the past year, and Vermont's down 2.3%, according to earlier MNI reports.
"As with the entire nation, Rhode Island's industrial employment is suffering due to global competition, the weak housing sector, and stagnating demand," said Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "Additionally, the state's concentration in luxury goods manufacturing, such as jewelry, has taken a hit as the demand for these items continues to diminish."
According to MNI, fabricated metal manufacturing is Rhode Island's largest sector by employment, with 7,480 of the state's jobs, down 3.3% over the year. The jewelry industry accounts for another 6,303 jobs, down 12.5% in 2008, with the closure of jewelry maker Colibri Group, among others. Industrial equipment manufacturing represents 6,168 of the state's jobs, and is one of the few Rhode Island sectors to gain employment, up 1.9% in the past twelve months. Instruments and related products also posted a gain of 129 jobs or 1.9%.
Sectors losing jobs include chemicals and allied products, down 16% after KIK Custom Products, an aerosol manufacturer, shut down its plant in Cumberland. Employment in textiles and apparel fell 13%, due partially to the closure of two Charbert textile facilities. Furniture and fixtures were down 5%; rubber and miscellaneous plastic products, down 3.6%; transportation equipment, down 3.4%; printing/publishing, down 3.3%; primary metals, down 2.3%; lumber/wood, down 1.6%; stone, clay, glass, down 1.4% and food products, down 1.2%. Employment in electronics manufacturing and paper/allied products remained stable over the year.
Providence ranks as the state's top manufacturing city with 9,834 jobs, down 8.5% over the year. Pawtucket accounts for 7,680 jobs, down 1% since December 2007. Cranston is home to 5,812 of the state's workers, 4.4% fewer than a year ago. Warwick saw employment drop 5.8% and is currently home to 5,240 industrial workers, while North Kingstown jobs remained steady over the year with the fifth-ranked city home to 5,086 jobs.
Detailed profiles of Rhode Island's 2,099 manufacturers and 316 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Rhode Island Manufacturers Register, available in print for $82 and on CD-ROM from $108. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 6,223 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, number of employees, and more. Visitors to mnileads.com may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using thirteen different criteria, including area or zip code, county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more.
Manufacturers' News, Inc., publisher of manufacturers' directories since 1912, compiles and produces profiles of manufacturers, statistics and databases for all 50 states. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide. For more information, contact Manufacturers' News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100.
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