Industry Trends & Analysis

News • August 15, 2018

Global manufacturing scorecard: How the U.S. compares with 18 other nations

To move forward, it is important to see how American manufacturing compares with that of other nations. This report develops a global manufacturing scorecard that looks at five dimensions of the manufacturing environment: overall policies and regulations; tax policy; energy, transportation and health costs; workforce quality; and infrastructure and innovation.

Articles • August 9, 2018 • Ken Schnepf

CTE Salary Survey results analyzed

Industry experts identify drivers behind increases in salaries and benefits.n

Articles • August 8, 2018

CTE’s Biennial Salary Survey: The results are in

Our 2018 survey shows that the incomes of metalworking professionals are rising.

Articles • August 2, 2018

Gain loyalty with after-sales support

Providing effective troubleshooting advice, education and training will keep your customers coming back.

News • August 1, 2018

Other U.S. industries seek tariff relief from Trump

Jane Hardy, the chief executive of a company that makes lawn care equipment, says she had to lay off 75 employees this summer because of President Donald Trump's trade war. As she fights to keep her southern Indiana business going, Hardy is one of the manufacturers warning the White House that, unless they see relief from the tariffs soon, job losses will mount and factory closures are likely.

News • July 27, 2018

Is Asheville, North Carolina’s manufacturing economy sustainable?

Asheville, North Carolina, isn't just tourism and beer. Well, sometimes it's beer. But on the other side of the Great Recession, the city's economy has become increasingly tied to the manufacturing industry.

Videos • July 13, 2018

Hiring when there’s full employment

Finding and hiring skilled, talented workers for your manufacturing business — when you need them — is one of the big factors that determine the success of your company. In the 16th episode of the CNC Chef video series, Bob Warfield from CNCCookbook lays out some tips and advice for hiring during an economic era of full employment.

News • June 26, 2018

Where U.S. manufacturing is thriving in 2018

To determine the places where manufacturing growth is strongest, employment in the sector was looked at in 373 metropolitan statistical areas, assessing short-, medium- and long-term trends going back to 2006 and adding in variables for persistence and momentum.

News • June 19, 2018

Helping U.S. manufacturers: What works?

Advanced economies always lean toward services as they grow. But there are many other advanced economies out there with more robust factory sectors than the United States, employing much larger shares of their workforces and spinning off much more productive research and development. Let's not give up without a fight, which in this context means the application of smart policy at every level of government.

News • June 8, 2018

Did an epic mistake about manufacturing cost Americans millions of jobs?

Looking back, two kinds of people lived in the United States in 2016: those who believed Donald Trump and those who believed data. But all was not as it seemed.

News • May 16, 2018

Year-to-date US cutting tool consumption up 6 percent in March

March U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $207.08 million, according to the United States Cutting Tool Institute, Cleveland, and The Association for Manufacturing Technology, McLean, Va. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report collaboration, was up 8.8 percent from February's $190.32 million and up 3.5 percent when compared with the $200.05 million reported for March 2017. With a year-to-date total of $581.02 million, 2018 is up 6 percent when compared with 2017.

News • May 9, 2018

PMI drops to 57.3 percent for April

The Institute for Supply Management reported that the April Purchasing Managers' Index registered 57.3 percent, a decrease of 2 percentage points from the March reading of 59.3 percent.