Alaska lost 1.7% of its manufacturing jobs in past year
Author: RP news wires
Alaska lost 1.7 percent of its manufacturing employment over the past 12 months, according to the 2007 Alaska Manufacturers Directory, an industrial guide published annually by Manufacturers’ News Inc. MNI reports Alaska lost 539 industrial jobs and 39 plants since March 2006, the first net loss the state has seen in several years.
“The fact that much of Alaska’s industry stems from its vast natural resources makes it less vulnerable to the outsourcing many other states have seen,” said Tom Dubin, President of the Chicago area-based publisher, which has been surveying U.S. industry since 1912. “It is not immune, however, from the mergers, consolidations and automation that has displaced many manufacturing jobs.”
The fishing and oil industries remain Alaska’s top industrial employers, accounting for more than half of the state’s industrial employment. Fish packing/preparation accounts for 9,340 jobs, or 31 percent, of the state’s manufacturing employment, down 813 jobs, or 8 percent, from last year. Forty-three percent of these jobs are located in the Aleutian Islands. Oil and gas field machinery/repair and petroleum refining/drilling represent a combined 32 percent of the state’s manufacturing employment, or 9,981 jobs, with no significant change reported over the past 12 months.
Manufacturers’ News reports Alaska is now home to 972 manufacturers employing 30,397 workers. MNI profiles both large and small Alaska manufacturers, including start-up companies with just a few employees. Eighty-six percent of the state’s manufacturers employ 15 or fewer employees, compared to the U.S. average of 62 percent, according to Manufacturers’ News.
MNI’s regional study shows Alaska ranks 49th in the nation for manufacturing plants and jobs. Alaska ranks last in the Western United States for number of manufacturers, but second-to-last for related jobs, just behind Hawaii. South Central Alaska accounts for the most manufacturing activity with Anchorage, Kodiak Island and the Kenai Peninsula representing 17,795, or 58 percent, of the state’s jobs and 534, or 55 percent, of its plants. MNI reports this region lost 3.6 percent of its manufacturing employment over the past 12 months and lost 4.8 percent of its plants.
MNI data shows the Aleutian Islands are home to 11 manufacturers employing 3,996, or 13 percent, of the state’s manufacturing jobs. The oil-rich North Slope region accounts for the most manufacturing jobs in Northern Alaska with 15 companies employing 1,018 workers, 79 percent of which are employed by the oil industry.
MNI’s city data shows Anchorage is the state’s top industrial employer, representing 43.2 percent of the state’s manufacturing employment, or 14,065 jobs, down a half percent from March 2006. Dutch Harbor ranks second in the state with 1,830 jobs with no significant change in employment from last year while Fairbanks ranks third with 1,699 workers, down 1.1 percent in 2006. Kodiak ranks fourth with 1,382 jobs, while fifth-ranked Kenai accounts for 977.
Alaska lost 1.7 percent of its manufacturing employment over the past 12 months, according to the 2007 Alaska Manufacturers Directory, an industrial guide published annually by Manufacturers’ News Inc. MNI reports Alaska lost 539 industrial jobs and 39 plants since March 2006, the first net loss the state has seen in several years.
“The fact that much of Alaska’s industry stems from its vast natural resources makes it less vulnerable to the outsourcing many other states have seen,” said Tom Dubin, President of the Chicago area-based publisher, which has been surveying U.S. industry since 1912. “It is not immune, however, from the mergers, consolidations and automation that has displaced many manufacturing jobs.”
The fishing and oil industries remain Alaska’s top industrial employers, accounting for more than half of the state’s industrial employment. Fish packing/preparation accounts for 9,340 jobs, or 31 percent, of the state’s manufacturing employment, down 813 jobs, or 8 percent, from last year. Forty-three percent of these jobs are located in the Aleutian Islands. Oil and gas field machinery/repair and petroleum refining/drilling represent a combined 32 percent of the state’s manufacturing employment, or 9,981 jobs, with no significant change reported over the past 12 months.
Manufacturers’ News reports Alaska is now home to 972 manufacturers employing 30,397 workers. MNI profiles both large and small Alaska manufacturers, including start-up companies with just a few employees. Eighty-six percent of the state’s manufacturers employ 15 or fewer employees, compared to the U.S. average of 62 percent, according to Manufacturers’ News.
MNI’s regional study shows Alaska ranks 49th in the nation for manufacturing plants and jobs. Alaska ranks last in the Western United States for number of manufacturers, but second-to-last for related jobs, just behind Hawaii. South Central Alaska accounts for the most manufacturing activity with Anchorage, Kodiak Island and the Kenai Peninsula representing 17,795, or 58 percent, of the state’s jobs and 534, or 55 percent, of its plants. MNI reports this region lost 3.6 percent of its manufacturing employment over the past 12 months and lost 4.8 percent of its plants.
MNI data shows the Aleutian Islands are home to 11 manufacturers employing 3,996, or 13 percent, of the state’s manufacturing jobs. The oil-rich North Slope region accounts for the most manufacturing jobs in Northern Alaska with 15 companies employing 1,018 workers, 79 percent of which are employed by the oil industry.
MNI’s city data shows Anchorage is the state’s top industrial employer, representing 43.2 percent of the state’s manufacturing employment, or 14,065 jobs, down a half percent from March 2006. Dutch Harbor ranks second in the state with 1,830 jobs with no significant change in employment from last year while Fairbanks ranks third with 1,699 workers, down 1.1 percent in 2006. Kodiak ranks fourth with 1,382 jobs, while fifth-ranked Kenai accounts for 977.
Labels: Alaska, manufacturing
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