Welcome to the "IndustryWeek eBook: What to Expect in 2023 Manufacturing." Over the next few pages, we have articles from our editors and top contributors, sharing their thoughts and research about what to expect in the new year.
These are all educated guesses. I'd love to say that we're psychic or smart enough to predict anything, but that would be coming from someone who predicted U.S. car buyers would purchase more than 17 million new vehicles in 2020 (year-end total, 14.6 million).
Making prognostication even more difficult are the number of unknows faced in late 2022 and early 2023. Is inflation moderating or will the Federal Reserve have to continue aggressively raising interest rates? Are supply chains back to pre-COVID levels, or are constant disruptions the new normal? Will the job market remain the tightest it's been in decades, or will employers finally be able to start filling in open slots?
The best answer that I can offer is maybe to all of those, but thankfully, we have a great staff of editors over here and access to some really smart people in the manufacturing world who can offer more than a confused shrug.
If history is any guide, something will happen this year that none of these experts considered. That was certainly the lesson of 2020... and 2008 and 2001. And when the unexpected happens, we'll do our best to provide fresh information and commentary to deal with those changes.
Thank you for reading, and enjoy our crystal ball stare into 2023.