Manufacturing employment in Illinois declined a half percent over the past year, reports the 2014 Illinois Manufacturers Directory^®, an industrial directory and database published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI). According to data collected by MNI, manufacturers in Illinois cut 4,085 jobs from Feb. 2012 to Feb. 2013, or a half percent.

Manufacturers’ News reports Illinois is now home to 18,324 manufacturers employing 812,521 workers.

“Illinois continues to face heavy competition from its neighbors,” says Tom Dubin, President of the 102-year old industrial publisher. “However, the state remains a top industrial location and the high-tech manufacturing lab planned for Chicago should boost its reputation as an innovation center.”

Losses were led by printing/publishing, down 6.1%; petroleum products, down 4%; and textiles/apparel, down 2.6%. Gains were seen in transportation equipment, up 1.3%; and furniture/fixtures, also up 1.3%.

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One bright spot in MNI’s report is the rise of food products manufacturing, which increased employment by 2.8% over the year, ranking second in the state with 95,537 jobs. Industrial machinery ranks first with 131,395 jobs.

Chicago’s industrial employment was unchanged over the year, with the city home to 104,759 jobs. Factory jobs were down 1.5% in Elk Grove Village; down 1.9% in Rockford; and one percent in Elgin, reports MNI. Industrial jobs were down one percent in Cook County; down 2.6% in DuPage County; and rose 2% in Lake County.

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Detailed profiles of Illinois’s 18,324 manufacturers can be found in the 2014 Illinois Manufacturers Directory^® available in print for $211, or available online through MNI’s industrial database subscription service EZ Select: http://www.ezselect.com. Profiles provide up to 30 facts, including executive contact information, product(s) manufactured, annual sales figures and more.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc. is the nation’s oldest and largest publisher of industrial directories and databases, and the industrial search engine IndustryNet: http://www.industrynet.com. For 102 years the company has identified, researched and profiled manufacturing companies. MNI’s 85-person staff scours a multitude of sources to pinpoint every manufacturer in the U.S. Each company’s profile is updated annually, including employee counts. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc. 847-864-7000. http://www.manufacturersnews.com On Twitter or Facebook