Manufacturing by the Numbers: September 2023
The old adage ‘you can't manage what you can't measure’ has never been truer, especially in the industrial sector. Having the right data about your plant, your business, and the industry in general is essential if you want your company to thrive. This monthly roundup highlights the reports, studies, surveys, and insights that are impacting the manufacturing industry. Here are this month’s stats.
In August, economic activity in the manufacturing sector registered 47.6%, 1.2 percentage points higher than in July
Institute for Supply Management
Manufacturing ISM Report On Business
New orders for manufactured goods in July decreased $12.7 billion or 2.1% to $579.4 billion
U.S. Census Bureau
Monthly Full Report on Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, & Orders
New orders of manufacturing technology totaled $353.9 million in July, down 12.4% from June
AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology
U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report
Manufacturing sector lost 3,000 jobs in August, the first decrease in nearly a year
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment Situation Summary
U.S. durable goods orders increased $0.5 billion or 0.2% to $284.7 billion in August
U.S. Census Bureau
Monthly Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders
Manufacturing activity in New York State rose 21 points to 1.9
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Empire State Manufacturing Survey
Industrial production increased 0.4% in August, and manufacturing output inched up 0.1%
U.S. Federal Reserve
Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn