Manufacturing jobs in West Virginia fell 1.3 percent between July 2011 and July 2012, which means the state now employs 83,225 workers from 1,947 manufacturers, according to the 2013 West Virginia Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. in Evanston, Ill.
"West Virginia still struggles with decreased demand and high business costs," says Tom Dubin, president of MNI. "When choosing a location for a new plant, manufacturers look at labor and energy costs as well as the tax and regulatory burdens. West Virginia often has not been competitive with other states in these areas."
Coal mining reports a 7.5 percent employment increase for West Virginia's top industrial sector with 13,661 jobs, MNI finds. Coming in at second is the chemicals sector with 8,220 jobs at 6.4 percent over the year, and industrial equipment and machinery ranks as third with 7,064 manufacturing jobs at minus 8.8 percent in the last year.
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MNI finds West Virginia experienced employment losses textiles and apparel at minus 19.6 percent; lumber and wood at minus 7.1 percent; transportation equipment at minus 5.5 percent; furniture and fixtures at minus 5.3 percent; and stone, clay and glass at minus 2.1 percent. Steady employment was seen in paper products and printing and publishing while industries reporting gains are electronics at 4.8 percent, instruments and related products at 2 percent, primary metals at 1.6 percent and food products at 1 percent.
Northern West Virginia is home to 39,005 industrial jobs, a 3.1 percent drop, and Southwest West Virginia employs 30,279 manufacturing jobs, a 1 percent increase, MNI finds. Central West Virginia reports having 7,684 jobs, down 1.6 percent, and Southeast West Virginia has 6,257 industrial jobs for no change.
According to MNI, the top city for manufacturing in West Virginia is Huntington with 6,035 jobs, a 1.9 percent decrease, while Charleston ranks as the state's second top city with 4,398 jobs, up 2.9 percent. Morgantown comes in next with 4,288 jobs, down 15.3 percent following Shaft Drillers International's move to Pennsylvania. Next is Moorefield with 3,333 jobs, a 4.7 percent increase, followed by Martinsburg with 2,739 jobs for no major change.
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