Industrial employment in California increased slightly over the past year according to the 2013 Directory of California Manufacturers published by Manufacturers' News Inc. (MNI). MNI reports California gained 7,651 manufacturing jobs from February 2012 to February 2013 and is now home to 25,051 manufacturers employing 1,492,180 workers.
"With its abundant natural resources, California remains a prime state for green investment, and its access to capital and educated workforce have been a draw for a variety of enterprises," says Tom Dubin, president of MNI. "However, the state still has a long way to go in terms of lowering business costs."
Green manufacturing companies that announced openings included Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, which recently established an electric bus facility in Lancaster; battery maker Quallion, which opened a lithium-ion battery plant in Santa Clarita; and Soitec, which broke ground on a solar plant in San Diego. Other bright spots for the state included the opening of Paramount Citrus’ new packing plant in Delano and the establishment of a CJ Foods factory in Fullerton.
According to the industrial directory, the electronics sector ranks first in the state for industrial employment with 247,662 jobs. Food products ranks second with 169,361 manufacturing jobs, while industrial machinery accounts for 169,095 manufacturing jobs.
Other sectors to gain jobs included chemicals/allied products, instruments/related products, fabricated metals and transportation equipment. Losses were seen in stone/clay/glass, lumber/wood, primary metals and printing/publishing.
Manufacturing locations in California that have announced closures include a SVTC Technologies location in San Jose and Sanyo Solar’s plant in Carson.
Northern California accounted for most of the state’s employment gains, with jobs up 1.7 percent in the region. Northern California currently is home to 561,793 industrial workers. Southern California accounts for 930,387 jobs, with employment virtually unchanged over the survey period.
MNI's city data shows Los Angeles remains California’s top city for manufacturing employment with 75,650 jobs. San Diego ranks second with 71,239 jobs, while San Jose accounts for 60,638 jobs.
For more information, visit www.manufacturersnews.com.
