Industrial employment in Nebraska fell 2.8 percent over the past 12 months according to the 2010 Nebraska Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. MNI reports Nebraska lost 3,555 industrial jobs and 71 manufacturers between June 2008 and June 2009, the sharpest decline MNI has ever reported in the 16 years it has been tracking the state's industry.
Manufacturers' News reports Nebraska is now home to 2,992 manufacturers employing 125,007 workers.
"As with the entire nation, the recession continues to affect Nebraska's industrial sectors," says Tom Dubin, president of the Evanston, Ill.-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "However, Nebraska's losses are not nearly as severe as other states due to its strong exports, and investments in green technologies should lay the groundwork for recovery."
Recent bright spots for the state include the opening of Green Plains Energy Inc.'s ethanol plant, which commenced operations this summer, and the opening of Katana Summit, which manufactures wind turbine towers. Nebraska's biomedical industry was strengthened by the opening of Vireo Resources, a processor and packager of nutritional products.
Rubber and plastics manufacturing saw the worst drop in employment, down 14 percent over the past 12 months due partially to layoffs at hose manufacturer Veyance Technologies and the closure of auto supplier Leon Plastics. Manufacturers associated with the housing industry also saw declines over the year with employment in lumber and wood down 7.5 percent and furniture/fixtures down 5.8 percent.
Food products manufacturing remains the state's top sector by industrial employment with 36,137 jobs, down 2.3 percent over the year following the closure of Armour-Eckrich Meats in Hastings. Industrial machinery and equipment accounts for 13,408 jobs, down 4 percent, while third-ranked printing/publishing accounts for 10,636 jobs, down 1.5 percent over the past 12 months.
Most other industrial sectors in Nebraska lost jobs within the past year and included stone/clay and glass, down 7.3 percent; electronics, down 6.5 percent; primary metals, down 4.6 percent; transportation equipment, down 3.5 percent; paper products, down 2.8 percent; and fabricated metals, down 1.9 percent. Employment in chemicals manufacturing increased 2.1 percent over the year, according to MNI.
Manufacturers' News reports Southeast Nebraska accounts for the largest share of the state's industrial employment with 86,862 jobs, down 2.8 percent over the year. Northeast Nebraska accounts for 26,844 industrial jobs, down 2 percent, while Southwest Nebraska accounts for 8,205, down the most at 5.1 percent over the past 12 months. Manufacturing employment remained steady in Northwest Nebraska, with the region currently home to 3,096 jobs.
MNI's city data shows Omaha is Nebraska's top city for manufacturing employment, home to 33,599 jobs, with jobs down 1 percent over the year. Second-ranked Lincoln accounts for 18,911 jobs, with employment down 2.5 percent. Grand Island is home to 7,721 industrial jobs, down 1.3 percent over the year, while Columbus accounts for 6,002 jobs, with no significant change reported. Dakota City is home to 3,670, with employment virtually unchanged.
