In 2012, manufacturing employment in South Dakota grew 2.5 percent for an increase of 1,186 jobs, according to the 2013 South Dakota Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. in Evanston, Ill.

With this growth, South Dakota now accounts for 1,360 manufacturers with 48,441 workers, MNI finds.

"South Dakota continues to see its manufacturing sector improve," says Tom Dubin, president of MNI. "The state's winning mix of business friendliness and abundant natural resources has led the way in the creation of new jobs."

All of South Dakota's top three manufacturing industries experienced employment growth: food product manufacturing with 9,115 jobs, up 2.3 percent; industrial machinery and equipment with 7,097 jobs, up 5.3 percent; and fabricated metals with 3,933 jobs, up 2.4 percent, MNI finds. Other sectors that added jobs are furniture and fixtures at 7.3 percent, transportation equipment at 7.1 percent, rubber and plastics at 6.1 percent, electronics at 5.7 percent and chemicals at 2.3 percent. Sectors that reported losses are textiles and apparel at minus 10.7 percent; lumber and wood at minus 3.9 percent; and stone, clay and glass at minus 1.9 percent.

Southeast South Dakota represents most of the state's industrial employment with 26,124 jobs, a 2.5 percent increase, followed by Northeast South Dakota with 16,419 jobs, an uptick of 3.6 percent. Third-ranked Southwest South Dakota is home to 4,059 jobs, a 1.6 percent decline, while Northwest South Dakota accounts for 1,839 jobs, a rise of 1.8 percent, MNI finds.

Sioux Falls comes in as South Dakota's top city for manufacturing employment with12,178 jobs, marking no significant change. The other top cities for manufacturing employment are Brookings with 4,366 jobs, up 0.5 percent; Watertown with 3,620 jobs, representing nearly no change; Rapid City with 3,463 jobs, down 1.6 percent; and Yankton with 3,011 jobs, down 8.4 percent.

Instant Insights /

Manufacturing employment slightly grew in SD

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