Released on: August 11, 2008, 2:22 am

Press Release Author: Mary Waldron

Industry: Industrial

Press Release Summary: A report by Forbes.com has placed Canton, Youngstown, Dayton,
Springfield, and six more cities on its list of the fastest-dying cities in the US.
Much of the decay has been ascribed to the rapid decline of the manufacturing sector
and the resultant loss of manufacturing jobs. The turmoil has caused a surge in
freelance workers who are using their manufacturing training combined with their
marketing instincts in order to earn their livings. Elance, Odesk, and other
work-from-home solutions are ruling the roost for those who are laid off, but few
have managed to land a decent project. ManufacturingCrossing
(www.manufacturingcrossing.com), the world's leading job portal, is unperturbed,
though.

Press Release Body: "It's a rather dismal picture of the health of the cities listed
by Forbes," says A. Harrison Barnes, CEO and founder of ManufacturingCrossing. "But
as pointed out by some government officials, the numbers discussed in the report are
from 2000-2005 and don't reflect what's been happening more recently. It is very
difficult to assess the current situation in the US just by analyzing past data."

The Forbes report stated that most of the cities which are on the list have worse
unemployment figures than the rest of the nation due to the sluggish economy and
worsening manufacturing sector. Canton reported an unemployment rate of 6.7%, while
Dayton had a rate of 6.9%, much higher than the national unemployment rate of 5.5%
in June. Local officials argued, however, that Forbes had not focused on the likely
growth prospects of the cities, simply labeling them as "dying" based on past
assumptions.

Seconding the view of these local officials, Barnes says, "The employment outlook as
revealed by Forbes.com is based on outdated facts and figures which have only
partial relevance to recent times. The manufacturing sector is going through
troubled times, but there isn't the dearth of manufacturing jobs reported by Forbes.
ManufacturingCrossing has recently posted more than 17,000 US manufacturing jobs in
its database, and this is a testament to the fact that if one searches in the right
places, one is sure to end up with a job."

ManufacturingCrossing is an exclusive job board for manufacturing professionals
which scours more than 8,000 job boards and 250,000 employer websites everyday.
Additionally, ManufacturingCrossing does not charge employers to post jobs on its
site, which gives job seekers access to a broader range of available positions,
including those not listed on other job boards or in classified ads.

The top manufacturing jobs that can be found on the site are:
. Manufacturing manager jobs (6,297 jobs)
. Manufacturing associate jobs (2,551 jobs)
. Manufacturing engineer jobs (2,532 jobs)
. Manufacturing technician jobs (1,641 jobs)
. Chemical manufacturing jobs (1,391 jobs)
. Manufacturing assistant jobs (621 jobs)

Barnes adds that "unlike other job-search and career sites, ManufacturingCrossing
weeds out spam and jobs outside your niche, allowing you to search efficiently and
specifically."

ManufacturingCrossing concentrates on using a highly trained research staff of
hundreds of people to track down the positions of every US employer. Last week, the
site posted about 17,880 active manufacturing jobs, and that number is set to
receive a boost in the coming days. For more details, log on to
www.manufacturingcrossing.com

About ManufacturingCrossing

ManufacturingCrossing is an affiliate of EmploymentCrossing, a powerful and
comprehensive organization dedicated to helping professionals find jobs that will
enhance their careers. ManufacturingCrossing consolidates every manufacturing job
opening it can find in one convenient location. The website also offers a seven-day
free trial to new members.


Web Site: http://www.manufacturingcrossing.com

Contact Details: 175 South Lake Ave,
Suite 200
Pasadena, California 91101