JOINT RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE MANUFACTURING IN MAINE ON MARCH 21, 2007

WHEREAS,  manufacturing employs 58,000 of Maine’s citizens, 12% of Maine’s private sector work force; and

WHEREAS,  manufacturing is the 3rd largest sector of Maine’s gross domestic product, ranking behind only government and real estate; and

WHEREAS,  Maine’s manufacturing output continues to grow at a steady pace, rising 6-fold between 1947 and 2005; and

WHEREAS,  Maine has a long history in manufacturing, including one of the first paper mills in North America; and

WHEREAS,  manufacturing served as a magnet, drawing a rich diversity of cultures that form a social fabric of the fine qualities of Maine people; and

WHEREAS,  manufacturing has the highest multiplier effect of any sector of Maine’s economy, generating over $6 billion of economic activity in other sectors of the economy; and

WHEREAS,  Maine’s manufacturing workers earn an average of $42,000 per year, with generous health care and other benefits; and

WHEREAS,  Maine’s paper industry alone, just one part of Maine’s manufacturing community, pays more than $500 million in direct wages to its employees; and

WHEREAS,  67% of workers engaged in goods production jobs in Maine are located in rural areas of the State, and manufacturing jobs are critical to maintaining the economic vitality of rural communities; and

WHEREAS,  thousands of jobs in the manufacturing industry in Maine are expected to become available in the next 10 years through job growth and the aging workforce; and

WHEREAS,  manufacturing productivity consistently outpaces productivity growth in other areas, and Maine’s economic health is tied to the viability and competitiveness of Maine’s manufacturers; and

WHEREAS,  Maine manufacturers are facing increasing competition from global markets, and it is in the best interests of the State to promote and encourage the health and competitiveness of Maine manufacturers; now, therefore, be it

That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-third Legislature, now assembled in the First Regular Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this opportunity to express our support for the manufacturing industry in Maine and to recognize the contributions of Maine manufacturers and their employees on March 21, 2007 at the State House.