EVANSTON, IL–(Marketwired – April 20, 2016) – North Carolina manufacturing employment climbed for a fourth straight year, reports the 2016 North Carolina Manufacturers Register^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to MNI’s database of manufacturers, North Carolina gained 5,964 manufacturing jobs from January 2015 to January 2016, a 1.1% increase.

North Carolina is now home to 10,026 manufacturers employing 568,674 workers. MNI reports the state has so far added more than 19,000 industrial jobs or 3.5% since January 2011, recovering about 21% of losses suffered during the recession.

“With its skilled labor pool and top-notch incentive programs, as well as its low business costs and abundance of shovel-ready sites, North Carolina has wide-ranging appeal for manufacturers,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, like much of the nation, a stronger dollar is putting a dent in growth, with job gains not as strong as in previous years.”

For the full report, including specific company news, click here or visit http://www.mni.net/news

MNI reports North Carolina’s top three industrial sectors all added jobs in 2015. The industrial machinery sector ranks first in the state for factory jobs, employing 68,446, up 1.9% over the year. Jobs rose a half percent in second-ranked food products to 58,948 jobs, and increased 1% in third-ranked textiles/apparel, now employing 56,428.

Other industries in North Carolina that added jobs included electronics, up 5%; transportation equipment, up 3.4%; chemicals, up 2.1%; rubber/plastics, up 1%; and lumber/wood, also up 1%.

MNI’s regional data shows employment gains were spread out across North Carolina’s four regions, with the Northeast gaining 1.2% to 146,317 jobs; the Southwest adding 1.1% to 112,014 workers; and the Northwest gaining 1.1%, to 251,568. The Southeast saw a half percent gain, accounting for 58,775 of the state’s manufacturing jobs.

MNI reports Charlotte is North Carolina’s top city for manufacturing employment, accounting for 43,335 jobs, virtually unchanged over the year. Industrial employment rose 4% in Raleigh, 2.7% in Greensboro, and 1.8% in Research Triangle Park.

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.mni.net or follow MNI on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mfrsnews

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