Twenty-eight of the nation's top fifty industrial cities posted gains in manufacturing jobs last year, according to a new report released by Manufacturers' News, Inc., a compiler and publisher of information about U.S. manufacturers.  This was an improvement over the company's year-end 2011 top U.S. manufacturing cities report, in which only seventeen cities saw increases.

According to Manufacturers' News, Houston takes the top spot for industrial employment with 242,212 manufacturing jobs, up 3% over last year. New York ranks second with 146,340 jobs, up 3.8%. Third-ranked Chicagoaccounts for 107,413, with no significant change over last year. 

Notable gains were seen in Grand Rapids, up 7.3%; Sunnyvale, up 6.9%; Irvine, up 3.3%; and Louisville, up 2.7%. Losses included Dallas, down 4.4%; Los Angeles, down 3.1%; and Baltimore, down 2.8%. The top fifty cities account for 2,728,678 of the nation's manufacturing jobs or 17%, an increase of 13,465 or about a half percent from January 2012's total.

MNI's city data includes only establishments located within city limits. Each municipality is counted separately from its suburbs and exurbs.

MNI's full report can be seen here.