Site Archives

Manufacturing Gains in July, But a Weak Month for Construction and Mining

by ,

Jobs in the blue collar sectors of construction, manufacturing, and mining and logging increased by 15,000 in July, but in a surprise twist, that growth was mostly in manufacturing, not construction. Job growth was primarily in the South and West, with the addition of 12,400 and 8,300 blue collar jobs, respectively. The Northeast only added […]

Americans Deserve Safer Jobs

by ,

Filiberto Morales was 36 years old when he reported to work at a construction site on the grounds of Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville, Texas. It was June 26, 2018. According to an investigative report from the state fire marshal’s office, as Morales was working in the site’s mechanical room, natural gas was leaking into […]

Manufacturing Rebounds in June, But Slump Persists in the Northeast

by ,

Construction, manufacturing and mining and logging added 37,000 jobs in June, a rebound from mediocre May numbers. The May jobs numbers were actually revised upward, from 8,000 to 11,000, with the gains split between construction and mining and logging. In what is a pattern over the past several months, increases in June were heavily concentrated […]

Manufacturers Have a Trump Problem

by ,

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) recently released its Manufacturer’s Outlook Survey for the second quarter of 2019, and by its own members’ measures[1], optimism is starting to take a hit. The association is still pushing the line that one of the biggest concerns the industry is facing is “attracting and retaining a quality workforce.” […]