Report: R.I. receives D+ for manufacturing

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island earned a grade of D+ for manufacturing industry health on the latest manufacturing and logistics state report card, a slight improvement over last year’s grade of D.
The report, prepared by Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research for Conexus Indiana, looks at how each state ranks among its peers in several economic areas, including the state of human capital, cost of worker benefits, diversification of industries, state-level productivity and innovation, expected fiscal liability, state tax climate and global reach.
It said these areas “underlie the success of manufacturing and logistics.”
CBER director Michael Hicks said that Rhode Island had “slow, but steady improvement” this year. The D+ grade for manufacturing industry health was based on the share of total income earned by manufacturing employees in Rhode Island, the wage premium paid to manufacturing workers relative to other employees, and the share of manufacturing employment per capita. Since 2009, Rhode Island has consistently scored a D.
“The state improved its grades in the productivity and innovation category from D to C, in expected fiscal liability gap category from D to C, and in global position category from F to D,” Hicks said in a statement.
Still, it received F scores in logistics and tax climate and a D in global reach. Its best grade was B, in sector diversification.
The manufacturing industry is 5.7 percent of the state economy in Rhode Island, according to the report.
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan and South Carolina all received overall A grades. Connecticut and New Hampshire scored the highest among the New England states with B grades, while Maine and Vermont received Cs, and Massachusetts, a C-. Several states received F grades: Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada and New Mexico.
The national report card on manufacturing can be found HERE.

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