EVANSTON, IL–(Marketwired – February 17, 2016) – Virginia manufacturing employment climbed for a fourth straight year, reports the 2016 Virginia Manufacturers Directory®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to MNI’s database of manufacturers, Virginia gained 1,733 manufacturing jobs from December 2014 to December 2015, a half percent gain.
Virginia is now home to 6,166 manufacturers employing 336,391 workers. MNI reports the state has so far added 9,134 industrial jobs or 2.8% since December 2011, recovering 21% of losses suffered during the recession.
“Virginia has wide-ranging appeal for manufacturers, ranging from its educated workforce and favorable business environment to its top-notch incentive programs and solid infrastructure,” 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.manufacturersnews.com/news.
MNI reports gains were led by the transportation equipment industry, which increased 1.9% over the year and has climbed steadily over the past several years, adding 8,329 jobs or 24% since December 2009. Transportation equipment ranks as the state’s largest sector by number of jobs, employing 43,018.
Food processing, the state’s second largest industry by manufacturing employment, also added jobs, up 3% to 34,403, while employment in third-ranked printing/publishing fell 3.8%, now employing 28,192.
Most other Virginia industries saw employment inch up in 2015 and included instruments/related products, up 2.6%, and primary metals, up 1.6%. One percent gains were recorded for primary metals; electronics; chemicals; stone/clay/glass; lumber; and rubber/plastics.
City data collected by MNI shows Newport News is Virginia’s top city by manufacturing employment, accounting for 27,686 of the state’s industrial jobs, down 2.1% in 2015. Second-ranked Richmond lost 2.4% of its industrial employment, and now accounts for 26,351 jobs. Industrial jobs in Lynchburg rose 2.3% to 10,350, but declined 3% in fourth-ranked Roanoke to 9,552. Fifth-ranked Virginia Beach accounts for 9,248 manufacturing jobs, reports MNI, up 1.1%.
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
Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/2/17/11G083256/Images/VA_2016-fe47e2c136c997458bd1b2386a5947dc.jpg
