United States
Vice President and Chief Economist Dan Meckstroth overviews the most recent manufacturing data. The manufacturing industrial production index fell by 0.1 percent in March after increasing by a strong 0.9 percent in February. On a year-over-year basis, the index is 2.5 percent higher than in March...
There is a whiff of big dollars and big euros in the air of Washington and Brussels these days. And no, it’s not about the sequester or the Eurozone debts imploding. It’s about the European Union and the United States getting serious about signing on to a transatlantic free trade agreement (TAFTA...
The November 16 BLS release for Business Employment Dynamics sadly estimates that the number of manufacturing plants continues to decline. In the first quarter of 2012, 2.6 percent of manufacturing plants opened (8,000 plants) and 3.3 percent of manufacturing plants closed (10,000 plants).
The central theme of MAPI’s forecast for the next five years is that we believe the U.S. economy is in the midst of a transition period from sluggish growth to a longer period of moderate growth. For a smooth transition, politicians must (1) compromise and not go over the fiscal cliff, (2) raise...
Stating that the SEC's final conflict minerals rule is overly broad and unworkable, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the US Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit on Friday, October 19, requesting "that the rule be modified or set aside in whole or in part." The...
In spite of the September gain in manufacturing output, the factory sector experienced a 0.9 percent contraction during the third quarter of 2012, a near mirror image of the 1.0 percent increase seen during the second quarter. Further, the Purchasing Managers’ Index has been flashing disconcerting...
Don Norman reports that manufacturing production fell in August. Some of the production loss was due to Hurricane Isaac but the fact that the decline was so widespread across manufacturing industries suggests underlying weak activity. Manufacturing production surged in January and February but has...
The U.S. trade deficit in manufactures increased by 7 percent in the first half of 2012, and is projected to be $495 billion for the calendar year. The Chinese surplus grew much faster, by 24 percent, and is projected to be $817 billion for the year. The $169 billion increase in the U.S. deficit...
A report from NERA Economic Consulting on behalf of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) finds that U.S. manufacturers are significantly impacted by the escalation in the volume and cost of compliance with federal regulations.
Public awareness about the importance of...
“Disruptive” by definition means to interrupt the norm. To ensure the future of manufacturing we must disrupt it. Thankfully, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) strongly agrees. Last month, PCAST published a Report to the President on Capturing Domestic...