EVANSTON, IL–(Marketwired – July 21, 2016) – Manufacturers’ News, Inc. — Manufacturing employment in Texas declined for the first time since the recession, reports the 2016 Texas Manufacturers Register^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to MNI’s industrial database, manufacturers in Texas shed 7,379 jobs, or a half percent, between May 2015 and May 2016.

Texas’ 22,232 manufacturers employ 1,243,071 in the state, reports MNI, ranking it first in the nation for both number of manufacturers and manufacturing jobs. Since April of 2010, Texas has added 81,744 jobs, or 7%, recovering all of the jobs lost during the recession. The past year’s survey of Texas manufacturers marks the first time the state has shed industrial jobs since the 2009-2010 survey period.

“Texas’ industrial base skyrocketed as the oil boom took hold, but growth is sputtering with the fall in oil prices,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, with one of the best tax climates in the nation as well as a strong workforce and solid infrastructure, the state continues to be top destination for many new businesses.”

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

The oil and gas extraction sector has led Texas’ post-recession job gains, growing 90% from 2007-2015, but the industry declined for the first time in a near decade, falling 2.9% over the past twelve months. The oil/gas extraction sector ranks second in Texas for industrial employment, employing 141,717.

First-ranked industrial machinery also suffered over the past year, losing 4.5% of its jobs, now employing 173,581. Fabricated metals — third in Texas for manufacturing jobs — fell 1.6% to 125,460.

Additional sectors reporting losses included furniture/fixtures, down 3.6%; lumber/wood, down 3.5%; and transportation equipment, down 1.6%.

Industrial employment gains were reported in food products, up 4.8%; paper products, up 1.8%; and primary metals, up 1%.

MNI’s regional data shows employment losses were spread out across four of Texas’ six regions, with East Central Texas shedding 2.7% to 101,384 jobs; Southwest Texas losing 2% to 91,044 workers; the Northeast region losing 1% to 411,669; and the Northwest down 1% to 44,673. Jobs remained steady in Southeast Texas at 536,353 workers, and climbed 4.1% in West Central Texas to 57,948 jobs.

City data collected by MNI shows Houston ranks first in the state for number of manufacturing jobs, with 259,720 workers, down 4.1%. Second-ranked Fort Worth accounts for 71,276 jobs, up 1.3%, while third-ranked Dallas is home to 62,763 workers, down 5.7%. Austin ranks fifth with 53,503 jobs, up 6.7%, and fifth-ranked San Antonio accounts for 47,987 industrial jobs, down 1.4%.

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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