GSA Daily Staff Report
Published Oct. 20, 2009

Manufacturers’ News Inc. has released its 2010 South Carolina Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory. In it, Manufacturers’ News reports industrial employment in South Carolina has fallen 10.2% in a 24-month period.

It says the state lost 30,382 manufacturing jobs over the past two years, with 24,393 jobs lost between August 2007 and August 2008 and 5,989 industrial jobs from 2008 to August of this year.

"As with the entire nation, the recession continues to hit South Carolina's core sectors, particularly the textile/apparel industries, while the faltering housing market has affected industries such as wood products, furniture and building products," said Tom Dubin, president of the Illinois-based publishing company that has been surveying industry since 1912.

Employment in the lumber and wood sector saw one of the sharpest declines, down 16.6% over the past 24 months, and employment in furniture/fixtures saw a 16% drop, the report said.

South Carolina's top manufacturing sector remains industrial machinery and equipment with 37,287 of the state's industrial jobs, and was the only sector to gain jobs, up 5.3% over the past 24 months, according to the report.

Second-ranked textiles/apparel saw the worst drop in employment, down 26% over two years following plant closures at Hanesbrand, Renfro Corp., Blair Mills and Mohawk Industries, among others. Textiles/apparel currently accounts for 30,546 of South Carolina's industrial jobs.

Third-ranked transportation equipment saw a modest loss, down 3.6%, and currently accounts for 26,996 industrial jobs.

All other sectors in South Carolina lost jobs within the past 24 months and included primary metals, down 17.7%, stone/clay/glass down 13.7%; paper products down 12.9%; electronics down 11.3%; printing/publishing down 9.2%; food products down 7.9%; rubber/plastics down 7%; fabricated metals down 6.6% and chemicals/allied products down 2.8%.

According to the directory, the Northwest region of the state accounts for the largest share South Carolina's industrial employment with 167,535 manufacturing jobs, down 8.3% over the past 24 months. The Northeast region ranks second at 52,155 manufacturing jobs, down 17.8% over two years. The Southeast region of the state is home to 30,093 industrial jobs, down 4.4%, while the Southwest is home to 21,893 jobs, down 10.1%.

MNI's city data shows Greenville is South Carolina's top city for manufacturing employment. Greenville is home to 25,509 jobs, with no significant change reported after gaining 5% between 2007 and 2008, but then losing 4.6% over the past 12 months.

Second-ranked Spartanburg accounts for 15,594 jobs, with employment down 12.4% over the past two years.

Columbia is home to 9,728 industrial jobs, down 14.3% over the two years, while Greer saw no significant change in industrial employment, and is currently home to 9,403 jobs.

Anderson has overtaken Charleston as the fifth-ranked city with 9,012 of the state's jobs, reflecting a 6.1% increase over two years.

Manufacturers' News Inc. publishes industrial directories and databases for all 50 states. Its flagship publication, the Illinois Manufacturers Directory, dates back to 1912.

The South Carolina Manufacturers Register includes detailed profiles of the 5,169 manufacturers and 842 industrial distributors in South Carolina.

For more information, visit the company’s Web site.