/EINPresswire.com/ -- EVANSTON, IL--(Marketwired - October 19, 2016) - Manufacturing jobs in Missouri inched up over the past year, reports the 2017 Missouri Manufacturers Register^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to MNI's database of manufacturers, manufacturers in Missouri added 2,444 new jobs between August 2015 and August 2016, amounting to a one percent gain.

Missouri's 7,337 manufacturers employ 363,169 in the state, reports MNI.

"Missouri's top-notch infrastructure, competitive labor costs, and abundant capital funding continue to encourage expansions and attract new manufacturers," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "However, like many otherwise thriving states, gains have slowed in recent years as global competition and a strong dollar continue to challenge growth."

For the full report, including a list of new companies in Missouri, click here or visit http://www.mni.net/news/.

According to MNI, manufacturing gains in Missouri were led by the transportation equipment sector, which added nearly 2,000 jobs or 4.4%. Transportation equipment ranks as the state's second-largest sector by industrial employment, with 47,109 workers.

Food processing remains Missouri's largest sector by number of manufacturing jobs, employing 51,903. Food processing jobs in Missouri rose 1.5% over the year, reports MNI.

Other Missouri manufacturing sectors adding jobs included furniture/fixtures, up 4%; chemicals, up 3.6%, and industrial machinery, up 1%.

MNI's regional data shows Northwest Missouri accounted for most of the state's gains, with employment up 2.8% to its current level of 96,771 jobs. Employment rose 1.6% in Northeast Missouri to 25,394 jobs, and was little changed in Southeast Missouri, which now stands at 174,069 industrial workers. Employment in Southwest Missouri declined 1.7% to 66,955 jobs, reports MNI.

City data collected by MNI shows St. Louis ranks first in the state for number of manufacturing jobs, with 78,314 workers, virtually unchanged over the year. Second-ranked Kansas City accounts for 47,236 jobs, up 5.1%.

Established in 1912, MNI is the nation's oldest and largest compiler of industrial information, offering tailored solutions to help customers connect with 430,000 manufacturers and suppliers. MNI's industrial marketplace IndustryNet: http://www.industrynet.com is a one-stop resource that connects buyers with suppliers of 10,000 + products and services, and allows users to obtain competitive quotes, create and view company profiles, post company news releases, photos, videos, job openings, and more. MNI's subscription service EZ Select: http://www.ezselect.com provides access to MNI's live interactive database of manufacturers. For more information, contact MNI at 847-864-7000 or visit http://www.mni.net.

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