South Carolina has seen a 2.3 percent increase in industrial jobs over the last year.  That data is courtesy of the 2013 South Carolina Manufacturers Register, which is put out on a yearly basis by Manufacturers’ News, Inc.  Their findings exhibit an increase of 5,934 manufacturing positions in South Carolina over the last twelve months, according to a press release published with the Sacramento Bee.

“South Carolina continues to see its manufacturing sector improve,” says Tom Dubin, President of Manufacturers’ News. “Its reasonable labor costs and educated workforce have made it easier for manufacturers to do business, drawing major companies to the state.”

They also state that South Carolina presently has 4,870 manufacturing employers with 262,431 employees.

One of the reasons for the increase is development of Caterpillar’s hydraulic facility in Sumter as well as a new plant for Au’Some, a Chinese candy company.  Timmonsville’s Honda factory has also expanded, as they have shifted their output from a Mexico facility.  Bluestar Silicones also has a new plant while U.S. Fibers stretched its plant in Trenton.  Johnson Controls started up a building located in Florence to recycle batteries.

MNI’s data states that the largest manufacturing division in South Carolina by terms of jobs continues to be its industrial machinery section.  They have 34,766 jobs, about the same as last year.  Transportation equipment manufacturing is South Carolina’s next-biggest division, after a 19 percent bump thanks to jobs created by Boeing’s North Charleston facility and BMW’s building in Greer, as well as many others.  They presently make up 31,475 roles.  Third is textiles and apparels as they account for 27,366 jobs with no real fluctuation in jobs.

There are other divisions that are claiming increases for the year.  Lumber/wood has seen a 5.3 percent rise.  Primary metal has climbed 3.7 percent.  Food products have seen an upward trend of 1.9 percent.  Electronics have been boosted 1.4 percent, while chemicals have made a increase of 1 percent.

Furniture/Fixtures saw a 5.4 percent deep.  Fabricated metals dropped 3.4 percent.  Stone, clay and glass fell 1.6 percent and printing/publishing sunk 1.3 percent.

Guardian Building Products in Winnsboro, Freeman Millwork in Manning and Roseburg Forest Products’ facilities in St. Stephen and Orangeburg have shut their doors.

The northwest area of the state makes up the biggest portion of industrial jobs at 166,178 manufacturing roles.  That figure is 1.9 percent better than last year.  The northeast is next with 44,707 positions, a 1 percent bump from last year.  The southeast holds 32,041 jobs, an 8.5 percent rise.  The southwest comes in last with 19,505 jobs, a 0.5 percent drop.

Greenville is the state’s best city for manufacturing jobs, holding 23,885 roles.  Spartanburg is next with 14,656.  North Charleston is third with 9,900 gigs.  Greer checks in fourth while Columbia is fifth.