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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The subject of jobs, or a lack thereof, has been on many peoples' minds for the entirety of 2011. In the post-recession environment, millions remain out of work, and finding a solution to this situation has been problematic for the highest levels of government. While the unemployment rate has been dropping in recent months, the level of jobs creation has been slow and is not likely to improve in the coming year, given the economic uncertainty facing the United States and the rest of the world.
Click on image at right for a breakdown by market region of planned 1Q12 plant openings and job opportunities in the U.S.
However, jobs are being created each and every month, in part thanks to new industrial plants beginning operations after construction has been completed. Along those lines, a look ahead at the first quarter of 2012 shows that some 244 industrial plants are scheduled to begin operations in the U.S., creating more than 26,000 much-needed jobs.
Each and every month, more than 125,000 new jobs must be created in the U.S. for the national unemployment rate to decrease. This is the minimum number of jobs required just to keep pace with normal growth in this country. In the post-recession world, this has been difficult to achieve as companies are taking a very cautious approach to how they expand their workforces.
Companies have been expanding at a slow pace for the past two years, and this has not caused a massive hiring spree. One consistent means of jobs growth, however, has been new plants. Each month, industrial plants are opening their doors to begin operations, and this has meant new jobs creation. While this is only a drop in the bucket compared to the jobs growth that is required each month, it is a solid building block for companies to work with.
In the coming quarter, several industries will drive the hiring as a result of new plants beginning operations. The major employer in the U.S. is the Industrial Manufacturing Industry, and looking ahead to activity within that industry in the first quarter, almost 50 new plants will begin operations, bringing more than 16,000 jobs to the table in this industry alone. The Food & Beverage Industry, another labor-intensive industry, will see more than 50 plants begin operations during the months of January, February and March and will add another 4,000 jobs. The Pharmaceutical & Biotech Industry will add more than 2,600 jobs at its 22 new plants, while the Metals & Minerals Industry will contribute 1,400 new jobs at 16 new facilities.
The West Coast region of the U.S. is expected to be the major jobs-creating region for the first quarter of the New Year. Some 24 plants are scheduled to begin operations, bringing 6,300 new jobs to the region. The Southeast region and the Great Lakes region will each have a solid quarter in terms of new jobs creation. In the Southeast, 33 new plants will begin operations, creating 4,900 new jobs, while the Great Lakes region will see 39 new plants opening their doors, creating another 4,600 new jobs. The Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the country will also see some solid jobs growth, with 40 new plants beginning operations, which will add 3,100 new jobs in the Southwest, and 29 new plants with 3,600 new jobs will call the Mid-Atlantic region home.
While 26,000 jobs is only about 20% of the total jobs the U.S. must see created each and every month, it is a good place to start and provides a solid start. Jobs creation is not likely to improve dramatically throughout 2012, as the economic situation in the U.S. is not expected to improve by a significant degree. Companies are expected to remain cautious in the coming months with how, when and where they spend their hard-earned money. Spending may increase overall once again in 2012, as it did in 2011 when compared to 2010, but that has not translated into significant jobs growth. Companies have realized that they are capable of doing more with fewer workers, focusing on improving production efficiency rather than hiring in large numbers, and that philosophical change in how companies are running their respective businesses is not expected to change in the coming year.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
Click on image at right for a breakdown by market region of planned 1Q12 plant openings and job opportunities in the U.S.However, jobs are being created each and every month, in part thanks to new industrial plants beginning operations after construction has been completed. Along those lines, a look ahead at the first quarter of 2012 shows that some 244 industrial plants are scheduled to begin operations in the U.S., creating more than 26,000 much-needed jobs.
Each and every month, more than 125,000 new jobs must be created in the U.S. for the national unemployment rate to decrease. This is the minimum number of jobs required just to keep pace with normal growth in this country. In the post-recession world, this has been difficult to achieve as companies are taking a very cautious approach to how they expand their workforces.
Companies have been expanding at a slow pace for the past two years, and this has not caused a massive hiring spree. One consistent means of jobs growth, however, has been new plants. Each month, industrial plants are opening their doors to begin operations, and this has meant new jobs creation. While this is only a drop in the bucket compared to the jobs growth that is required each month, it is a solid building block for companies to work with.
In the coming quarter, several industries will drive the hiring as a result of new plants beginning operations. The major employer in the U.S. is the Industrial Manufacturing Industry, and looking ahead to activity within that industry in the first quarter, almost 50 new plants will begin operations, bringing more than 16,000 jobs to the table in this industry alone. The Food & Beverage Industry, another labor-intensive industry, will see more than 50 plants begin operations during the months of January, February and March and will add another 4,000 jobs. The Pharmaceutical & Biotech Industry will add more than 2,600 jobs at its 22 new plants, while the Metals & Minerals Industry will contribute 1,400 new jobs at 16 new facilities.
The West Coast region of the U.S. is expected to be the major jobs-creating region for the first quarter of the New Year. Some 24 plants are scheduled to begin operations, bringing 6,300 new jobs to the region. The Southeast region and the Great Lakes region will each have a solid quarter in terms of new jobs creation. In the Southeast, 33 new plants will begin operations, creating 4,900 new jobs, while the Great Lakes region will see 39 new plants opening their doors, creating another 4,600 new jobs. The Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the country will also see some solid jobs growth, with 40 new plants beginning operations, which will add 3,100 new jobs in the Southwest, and 29 new plants with 3,600 new jobs will call the Mid-Atlantic region home.
While 26,000 jobs is only about 20% of the total jobs the U.S. must see created each and every month, it is a good place to start and provides a solid start. Jobs creation is not likely to improve dramatically throughout 2012, as the economic situation in the U.S. is not expected to improve by a significant degree. Companies are expected to remain cautious in the coming months with how, when and where they spend their hard-earned money. Spending may increase overall once again in 2012, as it did in 2011 when compared to 2010, but that has not translated into significant jobs growth. Companies have realized that they are capable of doing more with fewer workers, focusing on improving production efficiency rather than hiring in large numbers, and that philosophical change in how companies are running their respective businesses is not expected to change in the coming year.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
