EVANSTON, IL–(Marketwired – August 17, 2016) – Manufacturing employment in Connecticut inched up for the first time in a decade, reports the 2017 Connecticut Manufacturers Register^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to MNI’s industrial database, manufacturers in Connecticut added 811 new jobs between June 2015 and June 2016, amounting to a half percent gain.

Connecticut’s 5,023 manufacturers employ 205,284 in the state, reports MNI. From June 2006 to June 2015, Connecticut lost a total of 35,543 factory jobs or about 15%. This past year’s increase is the first MNI has reported for Connecticut in a decade.

“High business costs and aging infrastructure have made it difficult for Connecticut manufacturers to thrive and recoup losses suffered during the recession,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, the state’s efforts at improving capital funding and easing regulation have helped to slow losses in recent years, and this past year’s slight gain may point to a turnaround.”

According to Manufacturers’ News, employment gains were led by the transportation equipment sector, which climbed 3.6% over the year, and ranks first in the state for industrial jobs, employing 35,787.

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

Second-ranked fabricated metals accounts for 25,829 jobs in Connecticut, reports MNI, down a half percent over the year, while employment in the state’s third-ranked industrial machinery sector rose 2% to its current level of 25,685.

Other Connecticut industries gaining jobs included furniture/fixtures, up 11%; chemicals, up 9.2%; food products, up 3.8%; rubber/plastics, up 3%; and electronics, up 2%.

City data collected by MNI shows Stratford ranks first in the state for number of manufacturing jobs, with 10,042 workers, up a half percent. Second-ranked Bristol accounts for 8,588 jobs, also up a half percent, while third-ranked North Haven is home to 7,665 workers, up one percent. Norwalk ranks fourth with 6,643 jobs, down 5.4%, and fifth-ranked Groton accounts for 6,524 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported.

Established in 1912, MNI is the nation’s oldest and largest compiler of industrial information, offering tailored solutions to help customers connect with 430,000 manufacturers and suppliers. MNI’s industrial marketplace IndustryNet: http://www.industrynet.com is a one-stop resource that connects buyers with suppliers of 10,000 + products and services, and allows users to obtain competitive quotes, create and view company profiles, post company news releases, photos, videos, job openings, and more. MNI’s subscription service EZ Select: http://www.ezselect.com provides access to MNI’s live interactive database of manufacturers. For more information, contact MNI at 847-864-7000 or visit http://www.mni.net

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