Manufacturing Jobs in Ohio Being Lost
More manufacturing jobs in Ohio are being lost.
The state has seen its industrial employment drop 2.7 percent during the last year, according to the Ohio Manufacturer’s Directory. Ohio lost 27,398 industrial jobs from August 2007 to August 2008.
An article by Manufacturers News states Ohio is home to 19,454 manufacturers that employ 997,952 workers, making the state the third in the country for industrial jobs. The loss of industrial jobs in Ohio is not alone, as Michigan has lost 5 percent of its jobs, Indiana has lost 2.2 percent, West Virginia has lost 1.3 percent and Pennsylvania has lost 1.2 percent.
“Industrial machinery and equipment manufacturing is the state’s largest manufacturing sector by employment, accounting for 151,948 of the state’s jobs, up a half percent over the year,” the article notes. “The fabricated metal products sector accounts for 116,471 jobs, down 3.3 percent over the past twelve months. Transportation equipment manufacturing accounts for 109,674 jobs and is down 6.6 percent over the past twelve months, due partially to Ford’s closure of a transmission plant in Batavia.
“Other sectors losing jobs include primary metals manufacturing, down 7.2 percent; paper/allied products, down 5.1 percent; lumber/wood, down 4.9 percent and furniture and fixtures, down 4.8 percent,” the article adds. “Rubber and miscellaneous plastic products fell 4 percent following the closure of Johnson Rubber Co. in Middlefield. Electronics manufacturing employment was down 3.8 percent due partially to layoffs at Alcatel-Lucent in Columbus. Printing/publishing was down 3.7 percent and textiles/apparel, down 3.4 percent. Food products manufacturing was one of the few sectors to gain jobs, up 1.2 percent, while employment in chemical manufacturing remained stable over the year.”
Northeast Ohio accounts for 363,221, or 36 percent, of the state’s manufacturing jobs, down 3 percent from last year. Southwest Ohio is home to 246,096 jobs, down 3.1 percent from last year; Northwest Ohio is home to 143,702 jobs, down 2.5 percent from last year; South Central Ohio is home to 104,192 jobs, up 1 percent from last year; North Central Ohio is home to 100,168 jobs, down 3.6 percent from last year and Southeast Ohio is home to 40,576 jobs, down 4.2 percent from last year.