U.S. factories produced more consumer goods, business equipment and raw materials in March, boosting manufacturing activity for the ninth straight month. Get the full story »
Inside these posts: Factories
Visit our Filed page for categories. To browse by specific topic, see our Inside page. For a list of companies covered on this site, visit our Companies page.
Factory, spending data support strong growth tone
A measure of factory activity in the U.S. Midwest rose to a 22-1/2 year high in January on strong orders and employment prospects, bolstering hopes the economy would stay on a solid growth path this year. Get the full story »
Factory orders broadly lower in October
New orders received by U.S. factories dropped 0.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted $420 billion in October, a setback for the manufacturing sector as demand declined across a broad array of goods, a government report on Friday showed. Get the full story »
Nov. 18, 2010 at 11:11 a.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Economy, Jobs/employment, Layoffs, Manufacturing, Policy, Politics, Updated U.S. factory, job data show some economic strength
In this Sept. 20, 2010 photograph, people attend a job fair at a hotel in Boston. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
New U.S. claims for jobless benefits barely rose last week and manufacturing activity in the country’s Mid-Atlantic region touched a near one-year high in November, more proof the economy was regaining momentum.
The improving economic picture also was enhanced by another report on Thursday showing a gauge of future activity increased 0.5 percent in October.
However, the data are not robust enough to deter the Federal Reserve from fully implementing its much criticized program to purchase $600 billion worth of government debt to push already low interest rates down to stimulate the economy. Get the full story »
Chrysler plans to expand Belvidere plant
Chrysler says it’s adding 500,000 square feet for a larger body shop at its assembly plant in Belvidere. Chrysler senior manager Ross Good told city leaders Tuesday that the company needs the extra space at its north-central Illinois plant but has no immediate information about what will be made there or any work force changes. Good spoke to Belvidere’s mayor and city council.
Factory orders have worst showing in 9 months
Orders to U.S. factories declined broadly in May after nine straight months of gains, raising new concerns that the recovery is stalling. The Commerce Department said Friday that orders for manufactured goods decreased 1.4 percent in May. It was the biggest drop since March 2009.
