Industrial employment in Delaware fell 8.6 percent over the past year, according to a report published by Evanston, Ill.-based Manufacturers’ News, Inc.
Delaware lost 4,090 industrial jobs and 31 manufacturers between May, 2008 and May, 2009, according to the Delaware Manufacturers Register.
The transportation industry saw the worst drop in employment, down 44 percent with the closure of Chrysler’s Newark assembly plant and GM’s Boxwood Road plant. Lumber and wood saw a 26 percent drop, the report said.
The state’s top industrial sector remains chemicals manufacturing, which employs 12,300 people, down 2.4 percent over the year. Second-ranked food products accounts for 9,061 jobs with no significant change, according to the report.
Two bright spots for the state include the expansion of petrochemical company LyondellBasell Industries and the expansion of a Kraft Foods plant in Dover, according to the report.
Wilmington is the top city for manufacturing employment and is home to 13,761 jobs, down 2.7 percent over the year. Second-ranked Newark accounts for 5,865 jobs, with employment down 19 percent, the report said.
