Hawaiian industrial employment held steady after only adding 20 jobs for a 0.5 percent gain between December 2011 and December 2012, according to the 2013 Hawaii Manufacturers Directory, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. in Evanston, Ill.

After accounting for those new jobs, Hawaii has 1,164 manufacturers with 21,512 workers, MNI finds. More than half of Hawaii's industrial jobs are in Honolulu with 11,102 positions, a 1 percent increase. Other cities that recorded growth are Kapolei at 1.6 percent with 2,317 workers, Aiea at 6 percent with 1,076 workers and Puunene at 1 percent with 933 workers.

"Hawaii continues to see its manufacturing sector improve," says Tom Dubin, president of MNI. "Although the state's industrial sector still struggles with high business costs, its abundance of unique natural resources and investments in 'green' technology has been a draw for a variety of enterprises."