Industrial employment in Pennsylvania fell 3.3 percent over the past 12 months according to the 2011 Pennsylvania Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. MNI reports Pennsylvania lost 27,989 industrial jobs and 411 manufacturers between June 2009 and June 2010, a smaller loss than the 4.5 percent drop recorded by MNI over the 2008-2009 survey period.
Manufacturers' News reports Pennsylvania is now home to 17,883 manufacturers employing 816,749 workers.
"The recession, combined with weak demand for housing and building materials, continues to contribute to the employment decline," said Tom Dubin, president of Manufacturers' News. "But manufacturing in Pennsylvania is starting to pick up, with companies taking advantage of the state's favorable business climate and educated work force."
Bright spots for the state include Voltaix's plans to launch a new manufacturing facility in Northampton County; the opening of a new American Axle & Manufacturing plant in Lancaster; Coskata Inc's new alternative fuel plant in Madison; and the expansion of medical device manufacturer Unilife Medical Solutions.
MNI reports industrial machinery and equipment remains the state's top sector by manufacturing employment with 93,092 industrial jobs, down 5.9 percent over the past 12 months, following layoffs at Gamesa USA's wind turbine blade manufacturing plant and the closure of Gilmour Manufacturing Co. in Somerset, among others. Fabricated metals ranks second with 87,122 jobs, down 2.6 percent over the survey period. Jobs in third-ranked food products manufacturing remained steady over the year, with the sector currently accounting for 85,191 industrial jobs.
Most industrial sectors in Pennsylvania lost jobs over the year and included transportation equipment, down 13.9 percent, due partially to layoffs at GE Transportation and at the Harley Davidson plant in York. Lumber/wood declined 7.2 percent; stone/clay/glass fell 6.3 percent; textiles/apparel was down 5.4 percent; printing/publishing was down 5.2 percent; primary metals was down 4.8 percent; electronics was down 3.8 percent; and fabricated metals was down 2.6 percent. A slight gain of 1.1 percent was seen in the chemicals sector, while employment remained steady in the furniture/fixtures sector.
Manufacturers' News reports Southeast Pennsylvania accounts for the largest share of the state's industrial employment, with 347,367 jobs or 43 percent, down 4.9 percent over the year. Southwest Pennsylvania saw employment decline 3.8 percent and is currently home to 184,045 jobs. Central Pennsylvania is home to 120,385 industrial workers, 2.1 percent less than a year ago. Northwest Pennsylvania accounts for 105,986 of the state's industrial jobs, down another 5.5 percent, while Northeast Pennsylvania is home to 58,966, down 4.4 percent over the past 12 months.
MNI's city data shows Philadelphia is the state's top city for manufacturing employment, home to 46,015 jobs, down 5.3 percent over the year. Second-ranked Pittsburgh accounts for 35,284 jobs, with no significant change reported over the year. York is home to 22,643 industrial jobs, down 7 percent, while Lancaster accounts for 18,073 jobs, down 2.1 percent. Allentown is home to 17,814, down 8 percent over the past 12 months.
