In another sign that the American economy is slowing, February inbound container shipments at the top 10 U.S. ports hit their lowest level since before the pandemic, according to the latest available port data aggregated by Bloomberg. Inbound container shipments are seasonal in nature, and February is ... READ MORE >
industrials
U.S. manufacturing payrolls negative for first time in 21 months
Manufacturing payrolls lost 4,000 jobs in February, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday, the first net reduction the sector has experienced since April 2021 during the depths of the pandemic-induced recession. The negative figure wasn’t unexpected after nearly six months of ... READ MORE >
This week in energy: Russia oil price cap, natural gas outlook, nuclear SMRs
In this week's energy industry analysis, we take a look at the European Union's latest sanction on Russian oil, the Energy Information Administration's natural gas outlook, and plans for North America's first small modular reactor. The EU’s latest sanction on Russian oil The European Union on Feb. 5 ... READ MORE >
Manufacturing labor market tightens further as pace of hiring slows
The United States added 8,000 manufacturing jobs in December, making for a total of 379,000 new manufacturing jobs added in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This marks a 3% rise in new manufacturing jobs compared to 2021, but the hiring pace in the last few months has slowed. The U.S. ... READ MORE >
Outer space: an endless frontier of opportunities for federal contractors
While inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty continued, interest in space demand drew attention from notable investors, international governments and key players in the federal contractor market in Q3. Space and intelligence players navigated their short- and long-term objectives to successfully execute ... READ MORE >
Globalized manufacturing enters a new era
The era of globalization which brought cheap goods, low inflation, rapid growth and inexpensive capital is transitioning to a new state. Globalization is not dead, but the makeup of its participants has shifted and the rules of global trade continue to be rewritten as businesses diversify where they ... READ MORE >
Canada positioned to thrive in EV landscape—and other takeaways from EV/VE 2022
Electric mobility is no longer the future—it’s the present. That was one of the key messages at EV/VE 2022, Electric Mobility Canada’s conference in Toronto last month. The national not-for-profit organization’s event drew electric vehicle sector stakeholders including federal and municipal governments, ... READ MORE >
Industrial production rose in July, tempering recession fears despite housing starts drop
While a sharp drop in U.S. housing starts in July will continue to put a dent in the residential investment component of third-quarter gross domestic product, the strong bounce back of industrial production volume should temper recession fears. U.S. industrial production beat estimates last month, ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Sour topline sentiment despite robust shipments
The RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index showed modest improvement over the last month, likely due to a combination of easing oil and energy costs as well as improved external demand despite weaker domestic economic activity. Although current shipments remain robust, new orders moved lower, which implies ... READ MORE >
Manufacturing sector activity hits lowest level in two years
U.S. manufacturing sector activity continued to slow in July to its lowest level in two years as demand and prices cooled off, the Institute of Supply Management reported on Monday. The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index inched down to 52.8 from 53 the previous month, still indicating growth as ... READ MORE >