Hawaiian industrial employment held steady after only adding 20 jobs for a 0.5 percent gain between December 2011 and December 2012, according to the 2013 Hawaii Manufacturers Directory, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. in Evanston, Ill.
After accounting for those new jobs, Hawaii has 1,164 manufacturers with 21,512 workers, MNI finds. More than half of Hawaii's industrial jobs are in Honolulu with 11,102 positions, a 1 percent increase. Other cities that recorded growth are Kapolei at 1.6 percent with 2,317 workers, Aiea at 6 percent with 1,076 workers and Puunene at 1 percent with 933 workers.
"Hawaii continues to see its manufacturing sector improve," says Tom Dubin, president of MNI. "Although the state's industrial sector still struggles with high business costs, its abundance of unique natural resources and investments in 'green' technology has been a draw for a variety of enterprises."
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Hawaii's top sectors for manufacturing are food products with 7,286 jobs, which is nearly unchanged; printing and publishing with 3,105 jobs, a decline of 2.3 percent; and textiles and apparel, marking no significant change, MNI finds. Of the sectors that experienced growth are paper products at 13.3 percent, chemicals at 5.2 percent, transportation equipment at 4.6 percent and electronics at 4.1 percent. Meanwhile, losses were in industrial machinery and equipment at minus 9.8 percent, instruments and related products at minus 6.4 percent, lumber and wood at minus 5.7 percent, furniture and fixtures at minus 3.8 percent, and primary metals at minus 2.7 percent.
With 16,269 jobs, Oahu has the most industrial employment in Hawaii, MNI finds. The Big Island is home to 2,531 jobs, up 1.5 percent, followed by Maui with 2,086 jobs, up 1.1 percent. Kauai comes in third with 626 jobs, up 1.4 percent.
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