Manufacturers’ News, Inc.– Manufacturing employment in Washington increased 2.3% over the past year, reports the 2014 Washington Manufacturers Directory^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI). According to data collected by MNI, Washington manufacturers added 7,228 jobs from February 2013 to February 2014.

Manufacturers’ News reports Washington is now home to 6,677 manufacturers employing 309,869 workers.

According to the database of manufacturers, gains were led by transportation equipment, which increased by 4%. Transportation equipment ranks first in the state for industrial employment with 51,825 jobs.

“Manufacturers in Washington are making large strides across many sectors,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “The state’s investments in technology and innovation combined with a favorable business tax climate should continue to support this upward trend.”

Industrial sectors adding jobs in Washington included rubber/plastics, up 10.4%; fabricated metals, up 6.1%; electronics, up 3.2%; lumber/wood, up 2.9%; and food products, up 2.1%. Losses were reported in paper products, down 5.7%; and printing/publishing, down 3.9%.

Manufacturing companies in Seattle employ 42,977 workers, up 5.7% in the past year. Jobs in Everett increased 1.9% and remained steady in Redmond, Kent, and Spokane. Industrial employment increased 2.3% in Northwest Washington, 2% in the Southwest, 1.6% in Southeast Washington, and remained steady in the Northeast region.

For the full story, including a list of companies expanding in Washington, please click here.

Detailed profiles of all Washington manufacturers and distributors can be found in the 2014 Washington Manufacturers Directory^® available in print or online. 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, from print directories to online subscriptions. MNI’s industrial database subscription service EZ Select: http://www.ezselect.com allows users to tap into a live interactive database of manufacturers, while its industrial search engine IndustryNet: http://www.industrynet.com connects buyers and suppliers and allows users to view profiles and obtain competitive quotes. MNI’s traditional print directories are published for each state and include in-depth profiles of every manufacturer in the U.S. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc. 847-864-7000. http://www.manufacturersnews.com