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Texas Gained 32,000 Manufacturing Jobs over Past Year


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EVANSTON, Ill.--July 8, 2013: For the second year in a row, industrial employment in Texas posted a significant gain, according to the 2013 Texas Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Texas gained 32,680 manufacturing jobs from April 2012 to April 2013, or 2.7% - - more than double the gain MNI for the 2011-2012 survey period, and two percentage points above the national average gain as reported by the Labor Department.

“The state's abundant natural resources, friendly business environment, and ideal location for the shipment of goods continue to result in many companies investing in its manufacturing sector, particularly those in the oil & gas and electronics industries.”

Manufacturers' News reports Texas is now home to 22,642 manufacturers employing 1,200,525 workers.

"Texas' industrial climate continues to improve," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "The state's abundant natural resources, friendly business environment, and ideal location for the shipment of goods continue to result in many companies investing in its manufacturing sector, particularly those in the oil & gas and electronics industries."

According to the industrial directory, gains were spread across most sectors, with some of the largest increases seen in the state's top industries by employment. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks first in the state for manufacturing employment with 175,592 jobs, up 4.2% over the year. Fabricated metals ranks second with 120,680 manufacturing jobs, up 4.6%, while oil & gas extraction accounts for 118,496 industrial jobs, up 8.1%.

Bright spots for the state included Samsung's expansion of its semiconductor plant in Austin; Motorola's plans to open a new plant in Fort Worth; the opening of Caterpillar's new excavator factory in Victoria; and chemical maker Kuraray America Inc's announcement it would expand facilities in LaPorte and Pasadena. In addition, Apple recently announced it would locate a new Macintosh assembly plant in the state; and pet food maker CANIDAE established a new factory in Brownwood.

Other sectors to gain jobs included instruments/related products, up 5.7%; rubber/plastics, up 4.6%; transportation equipment, up 3.7%; primary metals, up 2.2%; electronics, up 1.8%; and chemicals, up 1.2%. Only two sectors posted notable losses: stone/clay/glass, which lost 1.8% of its industrial employment, and printing/publishing, which lost 1.3%.

Industrial locations announcing closures included Beef Products Inc., which shuttered a plant in Amarillo following the "pink slime" controversy, and BAE Systems' location in Irving.

Gains were also spread out across all regions of the state, reports MNI. Southeast Texas accounts for the most industrial employment in the state with 502,014 jobs, up 3.7% over the past twelve months. Northeast Texas accounts for 408,266 jobs, up 1.3%, while the East Central region accounts for 100,504 jobs, up 4.8%. The Southwest is home to 90,915 industrial workers, up 1.1%, while employment increased 1.6% in the Northwest, with the region home to 48,463 jobs. Industrial employment increased 5.6% in West Central Texas, with the region accounting for 50,363 jobs.

MNI's city data shows Houston remains Texas' and the nation's top city for manufacturing employment, with 249,934 industrial jobs, up 4.3% over the survey period. Second-ranked Dallas is home to 71,361 jobs, down 2.3%. Industrial employment in Fort Worth increased 2.5% over the year, with the third-ranked city currently home to 64,960 jobs. San Antonio accounts for 52,225 jobs, up 1.2%, while Austin accounts for 47,620, up 1.6%.

Detailed profiles of Texas' 22,642 manufacturing companies and 2,984 distributors can be found in the 2013 Texas Manufacturers Register available in print for $211, or available online through MNI's industrial database subscription service EZSelect . Users may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using a variety of criteria, including region, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more. Each business profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information, 76,533 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, and more.