The impending closure of the Moirs chocolate factory in Dartmouth marks the third loss of a major manufacturer in the province this spring.

U.S.-based Hershey plans to shut down its Moirs plant by December, a loss of 580 full-time and part-time jobs.

Nearly 600 workers will lose their jobs when the Moirs chocolate factory closes.
(CBC)

The TrentonWorks railway car plant in Trenton closed its doors on Friday. Only days before, 380 poultry workers in Canard worked their last shifts at the Maple Leaf Foods plant.

Both Hershey and Greenbrier, the parent company of TrentonWorks, say they plan to shift production to Mexico.

It's a global trend, said Fred Morely, senior vice-president and chief economist with the Greater Halifax Partnership, an economic development group.

"A lot of companies are looking at Mexico, some companies there are looking at China and some companies there are looking at Vietnam," he told CBC News Thursday.

Morely said there are a number of factors at play for manufacturers in Canada, such as the price of the dollar, the availability of workers, and how costs compare to plants in other countries.

Nova Scotia has lost about 6,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector since 2000.

And with the loss of another 1,260 jobs this year, Stephen Lund, president of business development agency Nova Scotia Business Inc., is concerned.

"We have to have a strong focus on education and we have to have a strong focus on technology," he said.

Lund said the presence of Stora, the paper mill, and tire-maker Michelin proves Nova Scotia should not give up on manufacturing.

But he said the province must start diversifying its economy by offering incentives to information technology and financial-services companies that can provide well-paying jobs.