The Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland has released a report showing that manufacturing continues to be a significant source of employment and tax revenue in the state, contributing $16 billion annually to the state’s economy.

The report, developed by Sage Policy Group, Inc. and titled ‘Manufacturing in Maryland: The Cornerstone of Shared Prosperity,’ states that Maryland has the potential to be a leader in manufacturing growth, but it is critical that lawmakers adopt policies that will support that growth. Policy recommendations in the report include providing a competitive and stable business and regulatory environment, adopting a manufacturer friendly energy policy, and more aggressively marketing Maryland’s interest in manufacturing to the world.

The report shows that, while manufacturing has experienced challenges in the overall job market, declines are balanced by increases in average manufacturing wages. Manufacturing was responsible for $86.5 billion in total statewide business sales in 2007, or roughly 20 percent of state output, and employed 131,754 direct jobs and supported a total of 334,000 jobs according to the report.

Visit www.mdmanufacturing.org to view the full report.