During the next two years, the overall U.S. economy is likely to grow faster than manufacturing, forecasts the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, an Arlington, Va.-based business and public policy research group.
It foresees GDP, adjusted for inflation, growing 3.3% in 2006 and 2.9% in 2007, while manufacturing production is expected to increase 2.5% and 2.2%, respectively. (In contrast, manufacturing production is expected to increase 3.4% this year.)
Production of computers and electronic products is expected to increase significantly as spending on these high-tech goods rises 13% next year and 10.7% in 2007. Production of non-high-tech products is expected to increase just 2.3% next year and 1.6% in 2007.
