Chris is currently the Principal Economist at AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology where he examines trends in the overall economy that affect the demand for manufacturing technology. For over five years, Chris has managed surveys which compile the data necessary to get a full picture of the U.S. manufacturing landscape. Prior to AMT, Chris held varied roles in data analytics, research, sales, and marketing in an array of industries and settings. Chris holds a master’s degree in economics from The American University.
Chris is currently the Principal Economist at AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology where he examines trends in the overall economy that affect the demand for manufacturing technology. For over five years, Chris has managed surveys which compile the data necessary to get a full picture of the U.S. manufacturing landscape. Prior to AMT, Chris held varied roles in data analytics, research, sales, and marketing in an array of industries and settings. Chris holds a master’s degree in economics from The American University.
Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report compiled by AMT and USCTI, totaled $212.5 million in October 2024, a 12.6% increase from September 2024 but down 0.2% from October 2023. Year-to-date shipments totaled $2.07 billion.
Orders of manufacturing technology, measured by the USMTO report published by AMT, totaled $385 million in October 2024, a 14.5% decrease from September. Year-to-date orders reached $3.74 billion, a decline of 7.5% compared to the first 10 months of 2023.
This article will explore how demand for automation responded to historic shifts, the impact on manufacturing jobs, and what impacts these shifting trends have had on productivity.
With demand for manufactured goods surging after 2020 and high rates of job openings persisting due to a labor shortfall, more manufacturers are turning toward automation – and reversing the post-recessionary trend of declining manufacturing productivity.
In much the same way that the Fed was able to reduce interest rates in 1995 to allow the economy to continue expanding for the remainder of the decade, today’s Fed may be engineering a so-called “soft landing,".
Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report compiled in a collaboration between AMT and USCTI, totaled $188.7 million in September 2024. Orders decreased 10% from August 2024 and were down 6.3% from September 2023.
Orders of manufacturing technology totaled $450.6 million in September 2024, an increase of 24% from August 2024 and 14.6% over September 2023 orders. Year-to-date orders reached $3.35 billion, a 7.7% decline compared to the first three quarters of 2023.
Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report compiled in a collaboration between AMT and USCTI, totaled $209.3 million in August 2024. Orders increased 9.1% from July 2024 but were down 4.5% from August 2023.
Orders of manufacturing technology, measured by the USMTO report published by AMT, totaled $360.8 million in August 2024. These orders for metalworking machinery increased 22.7% from July 2024 but fell 12% short of August 2023 orders.
The country that sent the first man to the moon turned to private companies and foreign governments to send people and projects into orbit.