Harry E. Figgie Jr.

The Associated Press is reporting that stocks climbed today after the Commerce Department released statistics indicating that durable goods orders have reached their highest level in five months. The Dow rose nearly 200 points. The full story can be found here. – The Editors

The Wall Street Journal reports that a Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia index of general industry activity in the mid-Atlantic region fell in September. You can read about the details here. – The Editors

Wisconsin lost a full 25% of its manufacturing jobs over the last decade – a total of 155,20 jobs – according to a new study by the University of Wisconsin Center on Wisconsin Strategy. Here is the story. – The Editors

The uptick in manufacturing helped the Dow rise by more than 200 points. Here is the story from the Los Angeles Times. – The Editors

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley, appearing at a quarterly press briefing, suggested that a double-dip recession is unlikely, though growth rates during the first half of the year have been unusually low compared to past recoveries. Dudley was upbeat, however, about the role that manufacturing has played in the recovery. From [...]

Bloomberg Business Week draws our attention to a new survey by the University Research Corridor, a team consortium three big Michigan universities, which shows that 2/3 of manufacturing jobs in Michigan may be classified as in the “advanced manufacturing sector” – meaning they are better paid and more secure jobs. – The Editors

The AP sums up the latest economic data, which suggest that manufacturing growth slowed after picking up steam during the first half of the year. Factory output dropped 0.4%, sending the Dow tumbling more than 100 points. The AP story can be found here. The numbers also sent the dollar down to a two-month low. [...]

Bloomberg Businessweek‘s Ben Steverman warns that the recent uptick in manufacturing may not sustain itself through the second half of the year. The analysts warn that the high growth numbers stem from very low 2009 numbers, that the strengthening of the U.S. dollar could weaken exports, and that the overall economic outlook remains very uncertain. [...]

A new Business First survey breaks down the manufacturing jobs data from 2000-20009 by metropolitan area. The report shows that El Paso, Detroit, Dayton, Colorado-Springs, and McAllen-Edinburg, Texas have had the greatest percentage loss of manufacturing jobs over the last ten years. The full graph, which be sorted in a number of different ways, can [...]

The Washington Post’s Howard Schneider reports that U.S. exports rose more than 2% in May, but an even greater increase in imports resulted in an overall rise in the United States’ trade deficit. – The Editors