Industrial employment declines nearly 4 percent statewide

EVANSTON, Ill.- Industrial employment in Colorado fell 3.8 percent during the past 12 months, according to the Manufacturers’ News Inc.’s annual Colorado Manufacturers Directory.

MNI reports the state lost 7,958 industrial jobs and 230 manufacturers between May 2008 and May 2009, the sharpest decline in nine years. Colorado is now home to 6,933 manufacturers employing 203,386 workers.

The electronics sector, where jobs were down 10.7 percent over the year following layoffs at Fort Collins-based Advanced Energy Co. and Atmel Corp.’s plant in Colorado Springs, is currently the state’s top sector by industrial employment, accounting for 21,326 jobs.

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Food products ranks second with 21,022 jobs, down 4.7 percent over the year, partially due to layoffs at Longmont’s Butterball plant. Third-ranked printing and publishing represents 20,323 of the state’s jobs, down 6 percent over the year.