Contact: Jennifer Dills
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California Leads Nation In Plastics Industry Employment

Washington (August 2, 2000) — The plastics industry provides 137,600 jobs in California, making the state the largest plastics employer in the nation, according to a new study by The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI).

California ranks second in plastics shipments, with the industry contributing $24.2 billion annually to the state's economy.

The SPI Economic Report shows the California plastics industry is not only large, but continues to grow at a substantial rate. Plastics employment in California grew 24 percent between 1994 and 1999, while shipments grew 38 percent in the same five-year period. California also boasts the largest number of plastics facilities, with 2,635 statewide.

California also ranks first for employment and shipments in four major plastics industry segments: plastics product manufacturing (87,200 jobs and $12.7 billion in shipments); foam product manufacturing (8,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in shipments); plastic bottle manufacturing (4,700 jobs and $736 million in shipments) and pipe, fittings and plumbing manufacturing (5,800 jobs and $972 million in shipments).

Nationally, the plastics industry is growing faster than all other manufacturing and is creating more jobs, while continuing to improve in productivity, according to the study. The plastics industry provided 1,525,600 U.S. jobs in 1999 and contributed $304 billion in annual shipments.

Plastics employment has grown at an annual rate of 2.7 percent since 1972, according to the report, compared to -0.1 percent for all manufacturing. Since 1994, plastics industry employment has increased 4.4 percent per year; shipments have increased 6.2 percent annually.

The study, which was conducted for SPI by Probe Economics, Millwood, N.Y., provides economic data from all 50 states. It also includes data on productivity and international trends, showing the increasing importance of international trade to the plastics industry. According to the report, international trade is responsible for 15 percent of plastics industry jobs in the United States. The industry had an overall trade surplus of $5.2 billion in 1999.

The SPI Economic Report is available from SPI Literature Sales, (800) 541-0736 for $145 for SPI members; $215 for non-members. Refer to publication AB-147 when ordering. Summary information is also available on SPI's Web site at www.plasticsdatasource.org/impact.htm#statefacts. The data also will be available in the near future in a searchable, on-line database developed by SPI and Plastics News, a weekly industry newspaper. The database, at www.plasticsnews.com, will include additional features not incorporated in the printed report, such as county data.

Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. is the trade association representing one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States. SPI's 1,700 members represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw material suppliers.

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