Industryweek 5750 Unemployment 2
Industryweek 5750 Unemployment 2
Industryweek 5750 Unemployment 2
Industryweek 5750 Unemployment 2
Industryweek 5750 Unemployment 2

Manufacturing Fares Well in November Jobs Report

Dec. 6, 2013
It was one among several strong sectoral showings as the overall economy gained 203,000 net jobs and the unemployment rate dropped from 7.3% to 7.0%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly jobs report released today.

America's manufacturing industry revved its engine in November, adding 27,000 jobs.

It was one among several strong sectoral showings as the overall economy gained 203,000 net jobs and the unemployment rate dropped from 7.3% to 7.0%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly jobs report released today.

Within the manufacturing sector, the subsectors posting the biggest job gains were:

Food 7,800
Motor vehicles & parts 6,700
Transportation equipment 4,900
Fabricated metal products 3,100
Furniture & related products 2,100
Nonmetallic mineral products 2,000
Primary metals 1,700
Petroleum & coal products 1,600

The 27,000-job net increase was the manufacturing sector's largest monthly gain since March 2012 and was consistent with production increases posted since the beginning of the third quarter, according to Chad Moutray, chief economist of the National Association of Manufacturers.

"This is definitely an encouraging sign, particularly given the hesitance of many business leaders of late to add new workers given uncertainties in the market," Moutray wrote in NAM's Shopfloor blog.

Also encouraging is the fact that the November job burst pushed total manufacturing employment to 12,014,000—the first time U.S. manufacturing employment has exceeded 12 million since April 2009.

Caution: A Long Way to Go

Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, said the industry "finally has something to cheer about," but he tempered that, noting, "It's only one month and it's not guaranteed."

Paul also pointed out that even with the strong November showing, the manufacturing sector has made little progress toward President Obama's goal of creating 1 million manufacturing jobs during his second term.

According to the AAM's #AAMeter job tracker, the net manufacturing jobs gain from January through November—i.e., the first 11 months of Obama's second term—is 63,000. To reach the president's goal of 1 million new jobs, the manufacturing sector would have to create 25,324 net jobs per month through the remainder of his presidency.

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!