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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
May 13, 2003
Media Contacts: Gino DiCaro
916-730-3443
William Hodges
916-498-3324
5,200 Manufacturing Jobs Lost in April

Sacramento, CA- - The Employment Development Department’s unemployment report revealed last Friday that California’s manufacturing job base continues to fall, losing another 5,200 manufacturing jobs in April. A total of 283,200 jobs have been lost in the sector since the decline started in 2001.

California’s manufacturing employment decreased from 1,595,900 in March 2003 to 1,590,700 in April 2003.

“While the California Legislature discusses imposing new fees and new programs, employers are laying off workers and moving production out of state,” said CMTA President Jack Stewart. “The Legislature even passed a bill last month, mandating $26 million in new environmental fees. We need dramatic economic stimulus, government spending reform, a workers’ compensation system overhaul and at least a year’s worth of manufacturing job growth before we can even begin to talk about cost increases or new government programs.”

As a result of the massive two year industrial decline and the Legislature’s proclivity to heap new costs on employers, CMTA and other employer groups launched the “Jobs 1st” coalition last week in an effort to help educate legislators on the importance of keeping jobs here in California.

“I can’t understand why our elected leaders continue to both ignore the decline in manufacturing jobs and burden employers with more costs. California businesses pay the most in the country for electricity and workers’ compensation coverage, incur a larger tax burden than any other western state, and pay for unprecedented “California-only” regulatory programs. We aren’t even competitive with high cost states like Massachusetts anymore, where 3Com, a Silicon Valley company, last week announced they were moving,” concluded Stewart.

To download CMTA’s current presentation outlining California’s historical two-year manufacturing decline, why it has occurred and what we can do about it, please go to Economic Crisis

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