July Manufacturing JSI

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

8/22/2008

Manufacturing Job Security Struggles Continue in July

7.2% Decline Since April 2008 Signals

The Scorelogix® Job Security Index™ for the Manufacturing sector fell by 2.7 percent in July, marking the third month in a row that Manufacturing job security has decreased. Since July 2007, the Manufacturing Job Security Index™ has fallen ten times, and has experienced an 18.7 % decline. Many factors contribute to this decline. It is attributable to the weakness in the housing market, and the subsequent cessation of new home building. It is affected by rising fuel costs and high inflation, which increase operating costs and squeeze employers into taking broad cost cutting measures. Additionally, the continuing failure of American car manufacturers to compete in the global market has created a dearth in the demand for auto related manufacturing goods. All of this, and the generally weak US economy, fosters an atmosphere where job insecurity in Manufacturing is rising.

The decline in job security in Manufacturing has occurred across all nine of the US census regions. The regions which experienced the largest drop were the East North Central and Pacific regions. The West South Central and Mountain regions recorded the smallest decrease in Manufacturing job security at 1.7 percent.

The strongest individual States for Manufacturing job security include South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, and Nebraska. Michigan is by far the weakest State for Manufacturing job security, with Mississippi, Rhode Island, Alaska, and California all struggling in this regard as well.

Top 10 States: JSI

1	South Dakota	193.6
2	Wyoming	188.8
3	Utah	181.5
4	Nebraska	180.9
5	Idaho	180.1
6	North Dakota	178.9
7	Iowa	170.4
8	Oklahoma	169.9
9	New Hampshire	166.7
10	Hawaii	166.1

Bottom 10 States: JSI

1	Michigan	66.9
2	Mississippi	91.1
3	Rhode Island	92.6
4	Alaska	99.4
5	California	103.2
6	Illinois	105.9
7	District Of Columbia	108.9
8	Ohio	112.0
9	Tennessee	112.5
10	Kentucky	112.8

The downward trend in Manufacturing job security continues. Still, it manages, at 132.4, to hover slightly above the National Job Security Score, which in July rated 124.0. This overall greater strength in the Manufacturing industry, comparative to the rest of the country, can be attributed to the fact that a weak dollar promotes increased manufacturing exports. Also, domestically, Manufacturing remains a key component to the success of many other sectors, and in many ways, continues to serve as the foundation upon which other industries are built.

To obtain further information about Scorelogix’s Job Security Index, or to receive a more in depth analysis of the data provided above, please visit www.scorelogix.com or email Bill Dougherty @

bill.dougherty@scorelogix.com

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