MAPI – Manufacturers Alliance Economic News and Reports

Issues in the Brief

EEOC Lawsuits Challenge Employer Wellness Programs
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed three lawsuits against employers, arguing that their wellness programs are involuntary based on the substantial disincentives incurred for nonparticipation. The commission has not yet provided regulatory guidance on this subject.

The Politics of Scorekeeping
One of the first acts of the House of Representatives this year was to approve a rule requiring the use of dynamic scoring in determining the economic impact of major legislation. Unsurprisingly, this is a partisan issue.

Can We Save the American Middle Class?
The loss of manufacturing jobs is the root cause of the middle class’s stagnation. Revitalizing this segment of the economy requires education and training, along with changing how technical careers are perceived.

Oil Demand: The Other Side of the Equation
Much attention has been paid in recent years to the prospects for expanding oil production. Many have argued that because it is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to expand oil production and because consumption is expected to continue rising as the economies of China and India grow, the price of oil must rise sharply, perhaps to as much as $200 per barrel in the near term.

Economic Update

Latin America Manufacturing Outlook December 2014
This biannual report examines the latest trends in selected manufacturing industries in Latin America and provides related forecasts. The focus is on Latin America’s three largest economies—Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina—as these countries account for more than 80% of the region’s manufacturing output.

U.S. Industrial Outlook: Widespread Growth Ahead
Job gains are the core driver of economic growth. Manufacturing will continue to grow faster than the overall economy, though the housing recovery will be less robust than previously forecast.

Asian Manufacturing Outlook December 2014
The slowing in Chinese economic growth has lasted longer than most analysts expected; Japan’s somewhat unforeseen recession and India’s slow progress with economic reform have added to regional weakness.

European Industrial Outlook December 2014
European manufacturing has slowed markedly since our June outlook, though production should accelerate to just over 2% in 2015. The Russia-Ukraine conflict will likely linger on, negatively influencing private sector spending.

Manufacturing Activity January 2015
Dan Meckstroth, MAPI Foundation vice president and chief economist, reviews the most recent manufacturing data on industrial activity. Indicators for industrial production, capacity utilization, orders for capital goods, and manufacturing employment paint a picture of positive but moderating growth of manufacturing activity.

MAPI Foundation Business Outlook January 2015
The Composite Business Outlook Index edged down slightly from 67 in October to 66 in January.1 The index remains well above 50, the dividing line between expansion and contraction, and thus points to continued expansion over the next three to six months.