Manufacturing employment in Idaho experienced a gain of 1.5 percent as it added 1,096 jobs from October 2011 to October 2012, according to the 2013 Idaho Manufacturers Directory, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. in Evanston, Ill.

This represents the first increase in Idaho since 2006. With this growth, Idaho now accounts for 2,152 manufacturers with 73,920 workers, MNI finds.

Idaho’s largest manufacturing sector by employments is industrial machinery and equipment with 15,331 jobs, a 1.7 percent decline, followed by food products manufacturing with for 14,883 jobs, down 3.3 percent, according to MNI. Meanwhile, lumber and wood comes in No. 3 with 8,808 jobs, marking an increase of 2.4 percent.

Of the other industrial sectors with job gains are textiles and apparel at 5.5 percent; primary metals at 5 percent; fabricated metals at 4.7 percent; paper products at 4.3 percent; instruments and related products at 3.2 percent; furniture and fixtures at 3 percent; chemicals at 2.9 percent; transportation equipment at 1.7 percent; and stone, clay and glass at 1.1 percent, MNI finds. However, losses were reported in printing and publishing at minutes 5.4 percent and electronics at minus 1.3 percent.

MNI reports that Southwest Idaho is the state’s largest area for manufacturing employment with 41,547 manufacturing jobs, a gain of 1.9 percent, while Southeast Idaho follows with 17,972 manufacturing jobs, an increase of 1.7 percent. Next is Northern Idaho accounting for 14,401 industrial jobs for no significant change. 

Boise ranks as Idaho’s top city for manufacturing employment as it is home to 21,939 jobs, up 1.4 percent. Second-ranked Nampa has 5,890 jobs, a growth of 2.4 percent, followed by Idaho Falls with 4,347 jobs, representing a 3 percent gain. Lewiston saw a loss of 8.4 percent with 2,916 jobs, and Pocatello accounts for 2,827 jobs, an increase of 4.8 percent.