Why manufacturing productivity is on the rise

Sep 1, 2022
Manufacturers are producing more goods with fewer workers, given the tight labor market. But the sector has been hiring more in recent months.
Revised data from the Labor Department show productivity among manufacturers rose almost 5% in the second quarter.
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What does it take for chip manufacturers to get a new plant up and running?

Aug 23, 2022
Semiconductor makers seek locations with plenty of space, water, electricity and workers. First, they need megabucks for construction.
An array of machines at a semiconductor plant in Germany. Now that the CHIPS Act has passed, chipmakers are looking to build more facilities in the U.S.
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Will “deprinting” reduce the paper industry’s carbon footprint?

Aug 17, 2022
A new device will allow the same sheet of paper to be erased and reprinted 10 times, cutting waste and carbon emissions.
The cycle of felling trees, transporting them and using fossil fuel-based processes to turn them into pulp for paper is highly polluting.
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How are manufacturers faring in this economy?

Jul 22, 2022
Demand for many manufactured goods has been slowing, thanks to higher prices. But some sectors, like vehicles, are still trying to meet demand.
Demand for manufactured goods has been slowing down, and manufacturers are concerned it will keep slowing.
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What the declining value of euro means for U.S. exporters

A falling euro is affecting U.S. exporters’ competitive standing.
There are a variety of ways a weakened euro can mess with U.S. companies exporting to Europe.
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Manufacturing employment returns to pre-pandemic level

Jul 8, 2022
Demand for manufactured goods has grown during the pandemic, but new orders have been falling in recent months.
A worker assembles the interior of a safe. Many small business are looking to boost revenues in anticipation of a potential recession.
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The growing push for size inclusivity in fashion faces some obstacles

Jun 28, 2022
"Plus-size women make up more than half the market, and yet, plus-size clothes only make up 19% of all apparel on the market," says Elizabeth Segran, senior staff writer at Fast Company.
Sixty-eight percent of American women wear a size 14 or larger, according to a 2016 estimate.
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For public good, not for profit.

When you need 70,000 pounds of paper a month and the supply chain is in chaos

Jun 15, 2022
Claudia Smukler of Mother Jones explains the unique obstacles to producing a print magazine in this economy.
Magazines require a high grade of coated paper, one that ink will lay well on.
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More than 40% of baby formula out of stock, data company says

May 13, 2022
Just four companies make most of the baby formula in the U.S. After a recall and plant closure at one, there's not enough supply to meet the need.
When you only have a few companies in the country that make something, shortages are one of the risks, says Brian Dittmeier of the National WIC Association.
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China's zero-COVID policy is sending ripples through the world economy

May 9, 2022
As one region after another locks down, companies struggle and delays hinder the production and transportation of goods.
As China continues its lockdowns to prevent coronavirus transmission, delays hit manufacturing and transport operations.
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