Kentucky Manufacturing Jobs Dropped 10% Over Twenty-Four Months

EVANSTON, Ill., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Kentucky fell
10% over the past twenty-four months according to the 2010 Kentucky
Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by
Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Kentucky lost 31,185
manufacturing jobs over the past two years, with 8,433 jobs lost between
September 2007 and September 2008 and 22,752 industrial jobs from 2008 to
September of this year.

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Manufacturers' News reports Kentucky is now home to 5,536 manufacturers
employing 289,629 workers, compared to a high of 356,653 industrial workers
recorded by MNI in 2000. Manufacturing jobs have declined steadily in the
state since then, dropping 67,024 jobs or 19%. The loss of nearly 22,752
manufacturing jobs over the past year marks the sharpest decline MNI has ever
reported in the twelve years it has been tracking the state's industry and
represents a third of all industrial jobs lost since 2000.

"As with the entire nation, the recession continues to hit Kentucky's core
sectors, while the faltering housing market has affected industries such as
wood products, furniture and building products," says Tom Dubin, President of
the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry
since 1912.

Employment in the transportation sector experienced the sharpest decline, down
21% over the past twenty-four months, following the closure of a Johnson
Control facility in Cadiz and layoffs at Ford's Bowling Green assembly plant,
among others. Transportation equipment manufacturing remains Kentucky's
largest sector by employment, with 40,375 of the state's industrial jobs.

Industrial machinery and equipment manufacturing is Kentucky's second-largest
industrial sector with 33,629 jobs, down 7.9% over the year. Third-ranked food
products manufacturing saw a 2.1% increase in employment over the two years
and currently accounts for 31,963 jobs.

All other sectors in Kentucky lost jobs within the past twenty-four months and
included textiles/apparel, down 17.6%; furniture/fixtures down 15.9%;
fabricated metal down 15.5%; lumber/wood down 11.6%; primary metals down 11%;
chemicals/allied products down 9.7%; electronics down 9.4%; rubber/plastics
down 8.5%; stone/clay/glass down 6.5%; printing/publishing down 6.1% and paper
products down 4.2%.

Despite the losses, some bright spots have emerged recently including the
opening of specialty foods manufacturer Truitt Bros. in East Bernstadt,
General Electric's planned opening of a factory in Louisville that will
produce hybrid water heaters, and the expansion of a Smucker's facility in
Scottsville.

According to the industrial directory, Northeast Kentucky accounts for the
largest share of Kentucky's industrial employment with 157,920 manufacturing
jobs, down 10.8% over the past twenty-four months. Southeast Kentucky ranks
second at 50,579 manufacturing jobs, down 5.9% over two years. Southwest
Kentucky is home to 44,872 industrial jobs, down 9.6%, while the Northwest is
home to 40,445 jobs, down 10.3%.

MNI's city data shows Louisville is Kentucky's top city for manufacturing
employment, with 51,166 jobs, down 16% over the past twenty-four months.
Lexington ranks second with 21,644 jobs, down 1.6% over two years. Bowling
Green is home to 10,165 industrial jobs, down 11.8%, while Georgetown accounts
for 9,386 jobs, down 1.2% over the past twenty-four months. Florence
industrial jobs dropped 3.6%, with the city currently home to 8,506 jobs.

Detailed profiles of Kentucky's 5,536 manufacturers and 723 industrial
distributors can be found in the 2010 Kentucky Manufacturers Register,
available in print for $105 and on CD-ROM from $166. Each profile provides up
to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 20,737
executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, number of
employees, and more. Visitors to mnileads.com may generate custom profiles of
manufacturers using thirteen different criteria, including area or zip code,
county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more.

Manufacturers' News, Inc., publisher of manufacturers' directories since 1912,
compiles and produces manufacturing guides, statistics and databases for all
50 states. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine
designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide. For
more information, contact Manufacturers' News, Inc., 1633 Central St.,
Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100.

SOURCE Manufacturers' News, Inc.

Jennifer Ratcliff of Manufacturers' News, Inc., +1-847-864-9440, ext. 241,
jratcliff@manufacturersnews.com