/EINPresswire.com/ -- EVANSTON, IL--(Marketwired - November 21, 2016) - Utah industrial jobs rose 2.3% over the past year, reports the 2017 Utah Manufacturers Directory^®, an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to MNI's database of manufacturers, Utah added 3,837 industrial jobs between September 2015 and September 2016, and now accounts for more factory jobs than it had prior to the recession.

Utah's 3,540 manufacturers employ 174,171 in the state, reports MNI. Since September of 2010, the state has added 23,812 jobs, a 16% increase.

"Utah boasts one of the most favorable regulatory climates in the nation, and its overall business costs are low. This, combined with a skilled labor pool and abundance of shovel-ready sites, has helped the state recover all jobs lost during the recession -- and then some," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "However, global competition and a strong dollar will continue to challenge growth in the years ahead."

According to MNI, Utah's chemicals industry was the star of this year's survey, increasing by 7%.

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

Food processing ranks as the state's largest sector by employment with 19,454 jobs, up 3.3%, and second-ranked electronics accounts for 17,375, down one percent. Third-ranked chemical processing employs 17,083, up 7%.

Manufacturing job gains in Utah were spread out across most sectors, with furniture/fixtures, up 10.6%; transportation equipment, up 10%; instruments/related products, up 6.7%; lumber/wood, also up 6.7%; rubber/plastics, up 6.4%; primary metals, up 2.9%; and paper products, up 1.9%.

Gains were offset by losses in the state's industrial machinery sector, which reported a 4.1% decline. Employment also declined in the fabricated metals industry, down 3.7%, according to MNI.

MNI reports job losses were more severe in the western half of the state, with employment down 4.4% in Southwest Oklahoma to 23,998 jobs, and down 3.8% in Northwest Oklahoma to 66,334 jobs. The state's MNI's regional data shows Utah's manufacturing gains were concentrated in the state's Northern region, which added 2,726 jobs or 1.7%. Industrial jobs rose 4.4% in Southern Utah to 6,922, but fell 3.9% in Central Utah to 5,383.

City data collected by MNI shows Salt Lake City ranks first in the state for number of manufacturing jobs, with 55,673 workers, up 3.8%.

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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