Industrial employment in Massachusetts grew half a percent over the past year, after dropping 1.2 percent in the previous 12 months, according to Manufacturers’ News Inc. of Illinois.
Central Massachusetts did particularly well, with manufacturing employment rising 1.6 percent. However, the city of Worcester lost industrial jobs, falling 3 percent to a total of 9,407.
The state, meanwhile, gained 1,478 industrial jobs between August 2010 and August 2011, resulting in a total of 368,171 jobs spread among 8,715 employers.
Industrial machinery and equipment, the top sector in the state for industrial employment, increased payrolls 2.3 percent. Jobs in electronics and electrical equipment, the second-largest industrial sector, held steady, while the third-ranked sector, instruments and related products, rose 0.5 percent.
