Thousands of industrial jobs lost

The economic downturn has cost Massachusetts more than 25,000 manufacturing jobs.

That figure comes from the annual Massachusetts Manufacturers Register, which reports that industrial employment fell 6.4 percent in the Bay State during a 24-month period between July 2007 and July 2009.

Massachusetts remains home to more than 9,100 manufacturers employing about 373,000 workers, with electronics continuing to be the top industrial sector.

The state directories are published by Evanston-Ill.-based Manufacturers' News Inc. Publisher Tom Dubin says an educated work force and strong biotechnology industry should help lay the groundwork for a recovery in Massachusetts.