Resilience not recession is the right "R" word to describe the American economy in December. Wednesday's data from the Commerce Department showed retail sales blowing past expectations while industrial production volume stayed solid. The upside surprises, together with a robust labor market, prompted ... READ MORE >
Industrials
Manufacturing sector in U.S. contracts in November
The manufacturing sector contracted for the second month in a row in November as lower overall demand and persistent labor shortages took their toll, the Institute for Supply Management reported on Friday. The overall index stayed unchanged at 46.7%, implying a decline. Any figure below 48.7% indicates ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Slowdown even as jobs recover
Manufacturing continued to pull back in November, with the RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index remaining at 1.3 standard deviations below the level that would be considered normal. Although we think that the manufacturing sector has bottomed, any signs of an improvement have abated. A turn toward ... READ MORE >
Industrial production posts biggest drop this year amid strikes
Industrial production dropped by more than expected in October as the United Auto Workers strike was felt in the economy. Production of motor vehicle parts fell by 10%, marking the biggest drop since the beginning of the pandemic. The industrial production index declined by 0.6% on the month, according ... READ MORE >
Workforce, trade, capital: Conference highlights top manufacturing sector issues in Canada
Workforce dynamics, productivity, advanced technology investments and trade policies are some of the critical issues defining the future of Canada’s manufacturing sector, as highlighted at the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters 2023 National Manufacturing Conference in early November. The ... READ MORE >
Canada’s October jobs report: Cooling manufacturing labor market
Canada’s jobs report for October shows a continued slowdown in the manufacturing sector consistent with S&P Global’s purchasing managers' index, indicating that the manufacturing sector has been in a contraction territory since April this year. Canada’s manufacturing sector lost 19,000 jobs in ... READ MORE >
Job openings top estimates amid sharp drop in manufacturing
Job openings edged up in September as labor demand remained strong, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Wednesday. The manufacturing sector, according to a separate report from the Institute for Supply Management, declined at a faster rate than expected on falling employment and new ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Financing costs and UAW strike take toll
Rising yields and the strike by the United Auto Workers contributed to a pullback in manufacturing in the United States into October, with the RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index slipping to 1.3 standard deviations below normal. Although it appears the end of the UAW strike is at hand pending votes ... READ MORE >
Construction employment: Kickstarting the reindustrialization of the American economy
Growth rates in construction employment strongly support the emerging consensus around an economic soft landing. Public policy put in place in recent years—with $300 billion going to public infrastructure and clean energy in addition to $53 billion allocated to jumpstart a semiconductor supply ... READ MORE >
UAW strike and Unifor bargaining: Impact on Canada’s auto sector
As the United Auto Workers strike in the United States makes headlines, automakers have also been renegotiating labor contracts with Canadian union Unifor, which represents 20,000 auto workers. Given the deep interconnectedness of the U.S.-Canada automotive supply chain, any U.S. disruptions are bound ... READ MORE >