Manufacturers’ News, Inc. — Manufacturing employment in Mississippi was little changed over the past twelve months reports the 2015 Mississippi Manufacturers Register ^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to data collected by MNI, Mississippi manufacturers added 252 jobs from March 2014 to March 2015, its second straight year of gains, but lagging behind the 1.7% national average increase reported by the Labor Department for the same time period.

Manufacturers’ News reports Mississippi is now home to 2,825 manufacturers employing 177,702 workers.

“With its low labor and energy costs, its ideal location for the shipment of goods, and favorable tax climate, manufacturers continue to find Mississippi a great place to do business,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, the state still faces tough competition from its neighbors and, like many states in the South, suffers a shortage of the skilled labor needed for today’s advanced manufacturing.”

Manufacturers’ News reports the transportation equipment sector led the state’s industrial gains with a 5% increase over the year. That sector currently employs the most workers in the state, with 36,933 jobs.

Other sectors reporting gains included electronics, up 2.3% and fabricated metals, up 1%. These gains, however were overshadowed by declines suffered by most other sectors. Industries reporting losses included furniture/fixtures, down 8.3%; textiles/apparel, down 6.1%; stone/clay/glass, down 5.1%; chemicals, down 4.7%; printing/publishing, down 4.4%; and primary metals, down 1.4%.

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MNI reports Southeast Mississippi posted a 1.6% increase over the year, while jobs fell 2.1% in the Northeast. Manufacturing employment climbed 2.1% in Pascagoula, and 3.6% in Laurel, but fell 3.8% in Jackson.

Established in 1912, Manufacturers’ News, Inc. is the nation’s oldest and largest publisher of industrial information. MNI offers a variety of tailored solutions to help customers connect with 430,000 manufacturers and suppliers. MNI’s industrial database subscription service EZ Select allows users to tap into a live interactive database of manufacturers, while its industrial search engine IndustryNet connects buyers and suppliers and allows users to view profiles and obtain competitive quotes. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc. 847-864-7000. http://www.manufacturersnews.com

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