MAPI — Manufacturers Alliance News and Reports — Strong Consumer Demand and More

Issues in the Brief

ISM Index: Inventory Adjustment for Manufacturing
“The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reports that the November index was 48.6%, down slightly from 50.1% in October,” noted Daniel J. Meckstroth, vice president and chief economist for the MAPI Foundation, the research affiliate of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation.

Economic Forecast Shows Strong Consumer Demand Driven by Job Gains
Strong consumer demand driven by job growth should lead to increased manufacturing production through 2017, according to a new forecast.

The Causes of Slowing U.S. Growth Potential
While measuring potential GDP — the maximum output achievable without provoking inflation — is not an exact science, it is clear that US potential has slowed significantly since the 1980s and 1990s. Slower labor force growth and productivity are causing the sluggishness, although it is likely that government statistics do not accurately account for several types of 21st-century innovation.

Preparedness Post-Paris
To make sure your company is prepared for the unlikely yet troubling dangers posed by terrorism, consider implementing plans for identifying and contacting overseas employees, aligning travel protocols with country risk profiles and staging drills to address threats specific to your business and operating locations.

Economic Update

Manufacturing Activity: October 2015
Manufacturing production has been very uneven this year, in part, from swings in the automobile industry, and this trend is indicative of sluggish growth. In September, output declined 0.1%, the strong dollar continued to take a toll on manufacturers and sector employment dropped for the second month in a row.

Q4 2015 Quarterly Forecast for U.S. Economic and Manufacturing Growth
The overall outlook for the U.S. economy, with particular emphasis on the manufacturing sector, for the remainder of 2015 and 2016 highlighting manufacturing’s growth and challenges for a five-year horizon.

U.S. Industrial Outlook: Growth Will Be Moderate but Accelerate Through 2018
While the US manufacturing sector has yet to achieve its pre-recession production level, positive aspects of the outlook for 2016 include rapid growth in housing starts, absorption of negative shocks from 2015 and strong growth in motor vehicles and industrial construction. Mining and drilling equipment production, however, will fall 21% next year.