As the U.S. continues along its path toward economic recovery, manufacturing has seen steady growth. In a recent study by Travelers, a property casualty insurance provider, nearly three-quarters of industry leaders said they have either expanded their product or service offerings in the past or year or plan to do so within the next year.
The IndustryEdge survey polled 200 general managers, directors, owners and partners who work in the manufacturing of metals, food and plastics.
In the past year, 88 percent of survey participants either hired new employees or made plans to recruit more workers.
As one of the regions leading manufacturing centers, the Chicago metropolitan area has seen significant growth in the couple years. Between the first quarter of 2010 and the third quarter of 2012, the number of job in the industry soared 5 percent in Chicago, compared to a national average of 4 percent, according to the University of Illinois at Chicago's Center for Urban Economic Development.
In 2011, the region had approximately 411,000 manufacturing jobs, second only to Los Angeles.
Because trends in manufacturing tend to trickle into other industries, diverse companies with likely feel the positive growth affect. Employers looking to ad workers to their payroll should consider outsourcing to an HR administration provider.
