Featured Image

Fed Holds Rates Steady Amid Rising Demand for Manufacturing Technology

Jan 29, 2025

McLean, Va. (January 29, 2025) — Today the Federal Reserve announced they would hold benchmark rates at a target range of 4.25% to 4.50% in a widely anticipated move. This is the first meeting where the Fed held rates steady since they began to cut rates in September 2024.

“Since the Fed began cutting rates in September, we have seen an uptick in orders for manufacturing technology,” said Christopher Chidzik, principal economist of AMT - The Association for Manufacturing Technology. “Unlike previous rate-hiking cycles, demand for manufacturing technology was overwhelmingly concentrated in the beginning leading to a mid-expansion drop-off. The business conditions the Fed cited of strong labor markets and dwindling inflation are the opportune setting for a continued rebound of manufacturing technology orders in 2025.”

The next U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology with data on metalworking machinery orders through December 2024 will be published on Monday, February 10.

###

Members of AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology build and sell metalworking machinery, commonly know as machine tools, as well as the workholding, tooling, inspection equipment and automation integral to modern manufacturing.

PicturePicture
Author
Kristin Bartschi
Director, Marketing & Communications
Recent intelligence News
If the problem of the essential economy is to be solved – and let’s face it, it is a problem – then manufacturers, educational institutions, and governments (local, state, federal) must collaborate to turn this around.
With Sec. 232 tariffs expanding to include critical manufacturing technology products, manufacturers are scrambling for expert guidance and legal clarity. MTForecast, held Oct. 15-17, provides attendees with a crucial lifeline to navigate the turbulence.
Using data from the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, we can plot FDI data alongside new machinery orders.
The Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate for the first time this year to a target range of 4% to 4.25%. Additionally, GDP growth projections increased to 1.6%, while unemployment and inflation expectations remained at 4.5% and 3%, respectively.
Today at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, the Federal Reserve gave the strongest indication to date that an interest rate cut is in the cards for September. Will manufacturers, who face a tight labor market, increase technology investments?
Similar News
undefined
Intelligence
By Christopher Chidzik | Oct 21, 2025

Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report, totaled $210.6 million in August 2025, decreasing 2.7% from July 2025 and 1.8% from August 2024. Year-to-date shipments totaled $1.66 billion, down 2.7% from the same period in 2024.

4 min
undefined
Intelligence
By Christopher Chidzik | Oct 13, 2025

New orders of metalworking machinery, measured by the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, totaled $529.4 million in August 2025.

5 min
undefined
Intelligence
By Christopher Chidzik | Sep 23, 2025

Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report, totaled $216.2 million in July 2025. Orders increased 4.9% from June 2025 and 9.8% from July 2024. Year-to-date shipments totaled $1.45 billion, down 2.9% from the same period in 2024.

4 min