Kentucky’s manufacturing employment dropped 2.3 percent between September 2006 and September 2007, according to the latest statistics from the 2008 Kentucky Manufacturers Register, an industrial guide published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI). During that 12-month span, Kentucky lost 7,579 manufacturing jobs, continuing a downward trend the state has seen since 2001.
“Increased automation and technology has enabled manufacturers to reduce employment while maintaining productivity,” said Tom Dubin, president of MNI, which has been surveying U.S. industry since 1912. “All states with a substantial automotive industry have suffered job losses, but Kentucky has seen employment declines in textiles, food products, metal fabricating and most other sectors.”
Manufacturers’ News reports that Kentucky is home to 5,929 manufacturers that employ 320,814 workers, making the state 24th in the nation in terms of number of manufacturing plants and 20th for related jobs. The auto industry accounts for the most manufacturing jobs in Kentucky, representing 16 percent of the state’s industrial employment or 51,199 jobs.
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