Manufacturing employment dips in Missouri

The report, issued Tuesday by Manufacturers’ News Inc., shows that Missouri has lost 3,400 manufacturing jobs since August 2005. However, the loss is small compared to the severe cuts Missouri has seen since 2001, particularly in its aircraft and automotive assembly industries.

Missouri’s employment of 434,884 workers at 9,725 manufacturing companies ranks 16th in the nation and first in its region, where it accounts for 38 percent of the manufacturing employment.

Springfield is the state’s third strongest industrial city, according to the report, with 21,160, or 5 percent, of the state’s manufacturing workers at 427 plants. St. Louis leads the way with nearly one-fourth of the state’s industrial jobs, and Kansas City follows at second with about 11 percent.

Industrial machinery and equipment is the state’s top manufacturing industry, representing 1,331 manufacturers. Other major areas are printing and publishing, metal fabricating and lumber.