This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
NEWS DESK WHAT’S NEW IN MANUFACTURING n US Manufacturing Expands but Jobs Plunge T


he US manufacturing economy expanded for the fi rst time in six months in March, helped by growing orders and output, according to a monthly report by the Insti- tute for Supply Management. That slight uptick didn’t carry over to manufacturing employment, however. US manufac- turers cut 29,000 jobs in March, mostly in durable goods, with job losses spread widely among different industries. What was up: The Institute for Supply Management’s PMI, which measures economic activity in manufacturing, was 51.8% in March, up from 49.5% in February.


The US manufacturing economy grew, as new orders and production expanded. That hasn’t carried over to manufacturing employment.


The monthly report by ISM (Tempe, AZ) is based on a survey of purchasing and supply executives. A reading above 50% indicates expansion and below 50%, contraction. The March PMI was the fi rst above the 50% mark since August 2015. Of 18 industries, 12 reported economic growth in March, including furniture, miscellaneous manufacturing, machinery and fabricated metal products. Five industries reported contraction, including transportation equipment. What was down: Employment was the notable laggard in


ISM’s report for March. The group said its Employment Index declined to 48.1% from 48.5% in February. The group said nine industries reported a decline in jobs. That was consistent with the March jobs report issued by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Makers of durable goods pared 24,000 jobs during the month, with non-durable goods industries cutting another 5000 jobs. Manufacturing jobs totaled 12.291 million on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to a breakdown by industry from the bureau. That compares to 12.32 million in February and 12.318 million in March 2015. Manufacturing employment has lagged other sectors in recent months. Total US non-farm employment rose by 215,000 jobs in March, according to a statement by the US Labor Department. —Senior Editor Bill Koenig


May 2016 | AdvancedManufacturing.org 15


i3 Forum: Manufacturing is Changing Pronto


C


HICAGO—Manufacturing technology continues to ad- vance rapidly, and the global impact of that change was a key subject at the i3 Forum in downtown Chicago, where more than 200 people, including many of the leading thinkers in industry, convened to discuss the current and future state of manufacturing.


The i3 event—Impact. Innovate. Integrate.—was at- tended by the Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi and Chi- cago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (photographed below), as well as Boeing International President Marc Allen, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, and many other Presidents and CEOs of American and Italian manufacturing companies big and small. The event was hosted in late March by the Italian Trade Agency and held at the Gleacher Center at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150