Sacramento Sees Welcome Increase In Manufacturing Jobs

Companies of all sizes have learned that bringing their business to Sacramento when products or parts need to be built is a wise business decision. The region has a number of manufacturing plants, the large majority of which are for durable goods such as the information technology products created at HP's facility in Roseville.

According to the State of California Employment Development Department, local positions in manufacturing are on the rise; numbers for February of 2013 show 34,500 jobs in that sector. This reflects the addition of 1,500 new manufacturing jobs in Sacramento since the same period last year.

Greg Driscoll, area manager for the Sacramento staffing agency Express Employment Professionals, also reports seeing growth in this area.

How strong is the manufacturing sector at this time?

"Production and manufacturing needs in Sacramento are on the rise," says Driscoll. Businesses that come to the staffing agency are looking for more workers for front-line production and supervisory positions. In addition to requests for additional workers, he says, "We're certainly not hearing much about layoffs anymore."

What are the current priorities for Sacramento manufacturers when coming to a staffing agency?

"There is more pressure on agencies to find good people," says Driscoll. "The Sacramento economy is improving and projections for more growth look good." With more positions opening up, applicants with strong skills have more options and are less likely to jump at the first opportunity that comes along. Employers want agencies to find people with the right skills and right attitudes.

Can economic growth bring any positive changes for those already in jobs or just recently hired?

As consumers have more money to spend, Sacramento businesses may "up their game" to be more competitive. This could include providing more quality assurance and after-sale customer services, and they will vie for the best employees to accomplish that. This may ultimately translate to higher wages or better benefit packages being offered.

Valerie Heimerich is a freelance writer out of Sacramento. She typically covers animals and community issues. She has volunteered and worked for many organizations helping animals and people.
Her work can be found at Examiner.com.