South Carolina Manufacturers Add Jobs for Third Straight Year, Outpacing Nation’s Gains

For a third straight year, South Carolina posted a gain in manufacturing employment, reports the 2015 South Carolina Manufacturers Directory^®, a manufacturers database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI). According to data collected by MNI, South Carolina manufacturers added 5,848 jobs, or 2.2%, from September 2013 to September 2014, running ahead of the 1.4% national average gain as reported by the Labor Department for the same time period.

Manufacturers’ News reports South Carolina is now home to 4,735 manufacturers employing 269,694 workers. The industrial publisher has recorded a 5.1% increase in the state’s manufacturing jobs since September 2011, outpacing the U.S’s overall gain of 3.3%.

“Manufacturing employment in South Carolina continues to pick up speed,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “Major players in the auto industry have chosen to invest in the state, and its business friendly environment and solid infrastructure have boosted employment across a variety of sectors.”

According to the database of South Carolina manufacturers, gains were led by the transportation equipment industry, which posted a 10.5% employment increase over the year. The transportation equipment sector is South Carolina’s largest by employment, with 36,264 workers.

Other manufacturing sectors adding jobs in South Carolina included rubber/plastics up 11.8%; printing/publishing, up 1.9%; and industrial machinery, up 1.1%.

For the full story, including a regional analysis, click here.

MNI reports Greenville ranks first in the state for industrial employment with 24,154 jobs, up 1.5% over the year. Manufacturing employment rose 11% in Greer, and 4% in Anderson.

Detailed profiles of all South Carolina manufacturers can be found in the 2015 South Carolina Manufacturers Directory^® available in print or online. Established in 1912, Manufacturers’ News, Inc. is the nation’s oldest and largest publisher of industrial information. MNI offers a variety of tailored solutions to help customers connect with 430,000 manufacturers and suppliers. MNI’s industrial database subscription service EZ Select allows users to tap into a live interactive database of manufacturers, while its industrial search engine IndustryNet connects buyers and suppliers and allows users to view profiles and obtain competitive quotes. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc. 847-864-7000. http://www.manufacturersnews.com.