Manufacturing jobs in Maryland slid slightly from a year ago, according to the recently released 2007 Maryland/D.C. Manufacturers Directory.
Industrial employment in the state fell 2 percent from a year ago, the report said.
The directory is published by Manufacturer?s News Inc., which publishes state-by-state business directories and databases listing and profiling businesses around the nation.
Maryland and the District lost 4,284 jobs from May, the directory said.
BaltimoreCity is the top industrial employer in Maryland, with 1,017 companies employing 41,996 workers and accounting for 21 percent of Maryland?s industrial employment.
“What?s happening in Maryland and D.C. is that manufacturing today is different from a generation ago,” said Tom Dubin, president of Manufacturers? News. “Companies are leaner and computers are doing much of the work.”
He added that labor-intense jobs are headed overseas where employers can pay much lower wages.
Overall, Maryland has 5,635 manufacturing companies with 212,450 employees.
A good portion of those jobs are held by Marylanders.
According to the Maryland Advisory Commission on Manufacturing Competitiveness, Maryland manufacturers employ 168,000 Maryland residents.
Military contractors play a major role in the state?s industrial employment. “Large defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are at the forefront of Maryland industry,” Dubin said.
The two plants and headquarters of Lockheed, as well as the five plants of Northrop Grumman in Maryland, employ a total of about 8,700, the report said.
“Maryland is also home to toolmaker Black & Decker and cash register manufacturer Micros Systems,” the report said.
And manufacturing jobs help the state?s bottom line.
“Manufacturing jobs, on average, paid an annual average salary of $47,136, 30 percent higher than the $36,097 average salary paid by the remaining private sectors in the state,” said the Maryland Chamber of Commerce in a published report. “Manufacturing generates $8 billion in wages.”
Dubin said government and military intelligence gathering would continue to produce jobs in Maryland.
“Those kinds of jobs you can?t outsource,” Dubin said, adding that national security concerns prevent overseas development of intelligence gathering technology.”They require American know-how and proximity to government facilities.”
Made in Maryland
» Maryland has 5,910 firms connected to industrial and manufacturing of which 5,635 manufacture products.
» Maryland?s top employment industries are electronic components, commercial printing and newspapers.
» About 29 percent of Maryland manufacturers are into printing and publishing, industrial machinery and equipment and metal fabricating.
