New Hampshire ranks second in terms of job losses, with a 2.5 percent decrease in 2006, according to an earlier MNI release. Massachusetts was the only New England state to gain jobs over the past year, while Maine, Connecticut and Vermont posted slight losses (less than 1 percent).
"Many Rhode Island companies continue to be lured by cheaper labor costs overseas," said MNI president Tom Dubin. "For the plants that remain, fewer employees are needed due to automation and technology."
According to Manufacturers' News, the jewelry industry accounts for 8.3 percent of Rhode Island's manufacturing employment, making it the state's top industrial employer.
Manufacturers' News reports Rhode Island is home to 2,321 manufacturing companies employing 74,880 workers. MNI profiles both large and small Rhode Island manufacturers, including start-up companies with just a few employees.
MNI's regional study shows Rhode Island ranks fifth in New England by industrial employment, accounting for 7.2 percent of the region's jobs and 8.1 percent of its plants. Although geographically it's the smallest state in the union, Rhode Island's manufacturing sector ranks 39th in the nation by number of plants and 40th by number of jobs. Providence is New England's manufacturing capital with 371 manufacturers listed in the 2007 edition, compared to Boston's 353 companies and Manchester's 246.
MNI data shows Providence accounts for 14 percent of Rhode Island's manufacturing employment or 10,908 jobs. Providence companies shutting down operations in 2006 include Cowan Plastics Inc., an injection molding company that ceased manufacturing in September. Pawtucket ranks second by employment with 9,261 jobs and 190 plants. Third-ranked Cranston accounts for 6,399 jobs and 210 plants while Warwick ranks fourth with 5,854 jobs and 212 plants.