JUNE 18, 2014
Manufacturing job growth stalls in Arizona
EVANSTON, Ill. (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Manufacturing employment in Arizona declined in the past year, reports the 2014 Arizona Manufacturers Directory®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI). According to data collected by MNI, Arizona lost 499 manufacturing jobs from April 2013 to April 2014.
Manufacturers’ News reports Arizona is now home to 5,202 manufacturers employing 216,094 workers.
According to the database of Arizona manufacturers, losses were led by transportation equipment, which decreased by 1.6 percent. Transportation equipment ranks first in Arizona for industrial employment with 31,128 jobs. Industrial machinery ranks second, with 26,832 jobs, up 3.9 percent.
“Defense Department cuts and global competition, particularly in the solar/wind industries, have affected many manufacturing companies in Arizona,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, given its favorable regulatory environment and its skilled labor pool, the state remains a top candidate for major projects such as Tesla’s ‘gigafactory.’”
Other manufacturing sectors losing jobs in Arizona included paper products, down 7.8 percent; stone/clay/glass, down 7.5 percent; furniture/fixtures, down 5.9 percent; and lumber/wood, down 4.1 percent. Gains were seen in metal mining, up 7.6 percent; rubber plastics, up 2.4 percent; and food products, up 1.2 percent.
Manufacturing companies in Phoenix employ 72,720 workers, down 1.8 percent over the year. Jobs in Tucson increased 3.7 percent in Tempe; rose 1.6 percent in Tucson; and declined 1 percent in Chandler.
Detailed profiles of all Arizona manufacturers can be found in the 2014 Arizona Manufacturers Directory® available in print or online. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc. 847-864-7000. http://www.manufacturersnews.com
