Economy

Two statistics seem unrelated but, taken together, say something significant about New York City’s future as an engine of opportunity, innovation and equity. The first is that manufacturing lost more jobs than initially estimated and now accounts for only 69,000 jobs in the city, or 1.5% of the total. The second is that information jobs grew by 6% to about 200,000.

The federal agencies funding 14 institutes created to jump-start the manufacturing industry have no set criteria to measure progress, according to a government report. The departments of Commerce, Defense and Energy need a way to gauge whether they’re meeting the goals of the 2014 law that formed this nationwide network of manufacturing hubs, the Government Accountability Office announced.

The American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative, in collaboration with the Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Century Foundation, is a new national organization building on the foundation of the 24-region Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership initiative, helping regional communities across the U.S. devise and implement sustainable economic development plans that lead to good-paying jobs in thriving manufacturing sectors.

Jamestown is slowly becoming a manufacturing hub in western New York. New Flyer of America Inc. is one of the country's largest manufacturers of transit buses. The company's plant in Jamestown has been open since 2016 in a former grocery store.

Advanced manufacturing is a significant driver of the northeast Ohio economy and has been a key factor in the region’s recovery from the recessions of the early 2000s and 2008. However, growth in employment in the sector has fallen behind increases in gross regional product, and efforts to address this challenge will require an increase in the area’s skilled workforce.

When we think about the quality of life in U.S. cities, we think about affordable housing, good schools and hospitals, strong public services, excellent parks, bike paths and cultural resources. And of course, there’s the employment factor. Usually, larger cities offer more employment stability because there are simply more jobs. But this is changing now that manufacturing jobs are more readily available in cities with populations under 700,000.

Wisconsin-based Kohler Co. recently announced that it will shut down engine operations in Sheboygan County and move nearly 600 jobs out of state. What does the status of the manufacturing industry look like for Wisconsin and the Midwest?

A new maritime regulation may create a nationwide manufacturing boom. With an expected increase in the cost of fuels used by ocean carriers, many manufacturing plants might move from Asia to the United States.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City is serving as a testing ground for a resurgence – and remaking – of manufacturing.