EVANSTON, Ill., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Vermont dropped 2.3% over the past twelve months according to the 2009 Vermont Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI (http://www.manufacturersnews.com) reports Vermont lost 1,197 industrial jobs from December 2007 to December 2008, the first major loss of industrial employment the state has seen in several years.
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Vermont reported no significant change in manufacturing employment over the 06-07 period and tallied a loss of just a half percent in the 05-06 survey period, according to MNI.
Manufacturers' News reports Vermont is home to 1,580 manufacturers employing 51,254 workers. Vermont'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, according to earlier MNI reports.
"As with the entire nation, Vermont's industrial employment is suffering due to stagnating demand," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "Global competition continues to hit many of Vermont's core sectors, while the weak housing market has affected industries such as wood products, furniture and building products."
According to MNI, Vermont's largest sector by employment is electronics, with 8,269 of the state's jobs, down a half percent over the year. Food products account for 5,265 jobs, down 8%, due partially to the closure of Clear Source, Inc., a water bottling plant in Randolph. Industrial equipment manufacturing represents 4,675 of the state's jobs, with no significant change reported over the year.
Sectors losing jobs include stone, clay and glass products, down 15%, following layoffs at granite cutter Rock of Ages in Graniteville, among others. Chemicals and allied products were down 8%, textiles and apparel were down 7%, printing and publishing, down 6% and furniture/fixtures, down 5.4%. Lumber and wood fell 3.6%, following the closure of Stanley Works, a Pittsfield tool manufacturer, among others. Jobs in transportation equipment fell 1.9%, partially due to layoffs at NSK Steering Systems.
Sectors gaining jobs include rubber and miscellaneous plastics, up 11.5% and fabricated metal products, up 1.9%. Paper and allied products saw an increase of 3.1% following the expansion of Weidmann Electrical Technology, a manufacturer of industrial paper products and transformer accessories.
Essex Junction ranks as the state's top manufacturing city with 6,597 jobs, with no significant change over the year. Burlington accounts for 4,112 jobs, down 1% since December 2007. Rutland accounts for 2,128 of the state's jobs, down 1.8% over the year. South Burlington saw employment increase 2.4% and is currently home to 1,726 industrial workers, while Brattleboro jobs are down 10% with the fifth-ranked city home to 1,573 workers.
Detailed profiles of Vermont's 1,580 manufacturers and 245 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 Vermont Manufacturers Register, available in print for $77 and on CD-ROM from $95. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 4,733 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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