Industrial employment in Illinois fell 5.7 percent over the past 12 months according to the 2010 Illinois Manufacturers Directory, an industrial directory published annually since 1912 by Manufacturers' News Inc. MNI reports Illinois lost 51,925 industrial jobs and 709 manufacturers between November 2008 and November 2009, more than double the loss reported in the year before, and one of the sharpest declines MNI has ever reported in the 98 years it has been tracking the state's industry.
Manufacturers' News reports Illinois is now home to 20,079 manufacturers employing 854,081 workers, compared to the 1,104,707 industrial jobs reported by MNI 20 years ago.
"It's a perfect storm of negative conditions," says Tom Dubin, president of Manufacturers' News. "The country has suffered deep losses in manufacturing employment due to automation and technology, outsourcing and the recession. Combine that with Illinois' high taxes, deficit spending and generally unfavorable business climate, and it's easy to see why the state has shed thousands of industrial jobs."
Employment in the furniture/fixture sector experienced the sharpest decline, down 12.5 percent over the past 12 months. Employment in wood products fell 11.4 percent, according to MNI.
MNI reports industrial machinery and equipment remains Illinois' largest industrial sector by employment with 133,480 jobs, down 6.9 percent due partially to layoffs at three Caterpillar locations. Second-ranked fabricated metals accounts for 100,626 jobs, down 5.1 percent over the past twelve months, while third-ranked food products manufacturing accounts for 95,040 industrial jobs, down 2.1 percent.
All other industrial sectors in Illinois lost jobs within the past year and included transportation equipment, down 9.7 percent, following layoffs at the Ford Assembly plant in Chicago, the closure of an ETX Transmissions facility in Mundelein, and layoffs at Great Dane Trailers in Kewanee, among others. Printing/publishing fell 9.5 percent, textiles/apparel was down 9.2 percent, electronics down 8.3 percent, primary metals down 7.4 percent, rubber/plastics down 6.2 percent, stone/clay/glass down 5.8 percent and paper products down 4.4 percent.
Bright spots over the year included the expansion of Tempel Steel in Chicago and Baldwin Technology Company in Addison, as well as the opening of German company Vetter's first domestic facility in Skokie, which will package pharmaceuticals. In addition, Blackhawk Biofuels opened a new biodiesel plant in Danville, spurring job growth for the East Central region of the state.
Manufacturers' News reports Northeast Illinois accounts for 70 percent of the state's industrial employment, with 593,370 jobs, down 6 percent over the year. Job losses in Cook County represented 41 percent of the state's losses, with the region home to 323,736 industrial jobs, down 21,446, or 6.2 percent. Declines were also seen in the collar counties with DeKalb County, down 13.3 percent; Kane, down 6.3 percent; Will, down 5.2 percent; and Lake, 1.5 percent.
Northwest Illinois accounts for 81,788 jobs, down 5,742, or 6.6 percent. East Central Illinois is home to 58,219 jobs, down 5.7 percent, while West Central Illinois is down 7.6 percent and currently home to 56,137 industrial workers. Employment in Southwest Illinois fell 6.4 percent and now accounts for 38,527 jobs, while Southeast Illinois saw a drop of 7.1 percent, with the region currently home to 28,491 jobs.
MNI's city data shows industrial jobs in Chicago dropped 8 percent over the year, with the city now home to 114,092 industrial jobs. Rockford accounts for the second most jobs in the state with 23,355, down 6.9 percent over the year. Third-ranked Elk Grove Village accounts for 22,077 jobs, down 6.5 percent, while Franklin Park is home to 12,556, down 6.4 percent. Fifth-ranked Decatur is home to 11,444 industrial workers, down 2.2 percent over the past 12 months.