Industrial jobs in Florida fell 7 percent between February 2009 and February 2010, according to the 2010 Florida Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News.
According South Florida Business Journal, in those 12 months, Florida lost 38,278 industrial jobs and 932 manufacturers. The Sunshine State is now home to 14,928 manufacturers employing 505,005 workers.
Florida construction jobs are also down.
“It’s a perfect storm of negative conditions,” said Tom Dubin, president of the Evanston, Ill.-based publishing company. “The country has suffered deep losses in manufacturing employment due to automation and technology, outsourcing and the recession, while the faltering housing market has affected industries such as wood products, furniture and building products.