A new report by the  found .

According to NPPD, Nebraska has been making better progress in building back manufacturing employment numbers than other states–or even the entire country. They note that “companies with Nebraska manufacturing plants benefit from location and other competitive advantages associated with doing business in Nebraska.”

There are a few big factors that contribute to Nebraska’s manufacturing competitiveness, which , but which are backed up currently by real numbers from the NPPD:

•  Nebraska’s attractive business climate
• A productive and well-educated labor force
• Competitive labor and energy costs
• Central location

The Omaha World-Herald, , noted that manufacturing and metal fabrication are “a critical contribution to Nebraska’s economy, with major benefits to [the] plants’ host communities”–making both industries key places to invest in the future.

Although we’ve talked about the significance of manufacturing to Nebraska before, it’s always encouraging to see real numbers backing those statements up–and that’s exactly what we have with this new report from the NPPD.

What’s worth noting is that Nebraska isn’t just competitive for manufacturers–it’s also very competitive for workers and students interested in manufacturing. Manufacturers all around the country, , are seeking more young people to work jobs on the factory floor. Wages in Nebraska are very competitive, and manufacturing is an excellent way to make a living.

We talk a lot here on our blog about how manufacturing is a great career. And even though this new report by the NPPD is primarily interesting to manufacturers, it also ought to be interesting to future workers, too. As long as Nebraska continues to be competitive in manufacturing, companies will keep investing and creating jobs, creating more opportunities for anyone willing to invest in manufacturing as a career.

All in all, then, this is great news. We’ve said it before, and this report suggests that we should say it again: Nebraska is a great place to be, both for manufacturers and for workers in manufacturing.

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