Manufacturing

Welders are needed to build and upgrade roads and bridges, energy infrastructure and chip foundries. But the profession has an image problem.

A Vermont facility built in the 1950s is getting a shot at making semiconductors for smartphones and electric vehicles.

The Conference Board's Leading Economic Index turned positive in February for the first time since February 2022. That's a sign that the economy will avoid a recession this year, even if it slows down.

Businesses have spent the last year and a half trying to whittle down excess inventories. Some businesses still have work to do, but others are likely to build those inventories up this year.

"It's by no means anywhere near as awful as the headline number makes it look," one analyst says.

Economist say the rise in high-tech manufacturing — of things like semiconductors and circuit boards — in the U.S. bolsters national security.

Activity in the sector contracted last year, but federal investment is one of the factors that could make 2024 better.

Some are doing well enough that they don't need to borrow in order to expand and improve.

The Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Managers Index showed worse-than-expected performance for manufacturing, but construction growth shone.

Consumers may spend a record $12.2 billion this year — that's the treat. But sellers may need tricks to bring their goods to market.