New York Manufacturing Employment Drops 7.6 Percent

Industrial employment in New York fell 7.6 percent over the past 24 months, according to the 2010 New York Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI; Evanston, IL).

MNI reports that New York lost 62,786 industrial jobs over the past two years, with 14,976 jobs lost between July 2007 and July 2008, and 47,810 jobs from 2008 to July of this year. Over the same period, New York lost 1,110 manufacturers, or nearly 6 percent. New York is now home to 17,709 manufacturers and 2,395 industrial distributors employing 765,242 workers.

"As with the entire nation, the recession continues to affect New York's core sectors," says Tom Dubin, president of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "However, the state's educated workforce, strong exports, and investments in 'green' technologies should help lay the groundwork for recovery."

Printing and publishing remains New York's top industrial sector, accounting for 125,142 of the state's jobs, down 10 percent over the past twenty-four months. Second-ranked industrial machinery and equipment employs 84,374, down 7.4 percent, while electronics manufacturing accounts for 73,954 jobs, down 10.5 percent over the survey period.

All other sectors in New York lost jobs within the past 24 months and included transportation equipment, down 18.6 percent, following cutbacks at American Axle & Manufacturing, Magna Powertrain, and Delphi, among others. Employment in furniture/fixtures fell 12 percent; rubber/plastics down 9 percent; fabricated metals down 8.2 percent and paper products, down 6.9 percent, due partially to layoffs at Georgia Pacific. Employment in textiles/apparel declined 6.7 percent and food products fell 6.2 percent following the closure of Pheiffer Foods, among others.

Despite New York's losses, some bright spots emerged recently with GE's planned opening of a battery plant in northern New York, which will manufacture batteries for hybrid vehicles, and the consolidation of fork lift manufacturer Raymond Corporation ? a move that will generate 100 jobs and save 740. In addition the New York Fed's August survey of manufacturing suggested conditions have improved for New York manufacturers, with the index of activity at its highest level in over a year.

According to the industrial directory, the New York Metro Area, including the New York City exurbs, account for 404,568 manufacturing jobs, down 32,451 jobs or 7.4 percent over the past two years. The Western region of the state accounts for the 2nd most at 200,832 jobs, down 16,723 or 7.7 percent. Rochester and Buffalo represent 37 percent of these jobs with Rochester home to 48,603 workers, down 8.5 percent over the past two years, and Buffalo home to 25,935, down 8.6 percent. Central New York is home to 106,944 industrial workers, down 10,071 or 8.6 percent. The Upstate/Adirondack region accounts for 52,898 of the state's jobs, down 6.8 percent over the past 24 months.