The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that manufacturing job openings declined from 271,000 in March to 245,000 in April. The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data find that the number of job openings has stayed below 300,000 since June 2012, and April’s figure was the lowest value of 2013. The decline in labor postings perhaps reflects the recent weaknesses in the manufacturing sector, with sales being soft and various sentiment surveys observing very slow growth in activity overall.

With that said, net hiring in the month returned to positive territory. Manufacturers hired 224,000 workers in April, an improvement from the 201,000 new employees added in March. Despite the gain, the pace of hiring remains subpar, having generally stayed below its recent peak of 324,000 in March 2012. Meanwhile, total separations – which include layoffs, quits, and retirements – rose from 203,000 to 218,000. As a result, net hiring (or hiring minus separations) shifted from a decline of 2,000 workers in the sector in March to an increase of 6,000 employees in April. Even with a positive figure, it is clear that the pace of hiring remains quite slow, with manufacturers skittish about adding new workers. (continue reading…)

Here is the summary from this week’s Monday Economic Report:

On many levels, last week’s economic indicators confirmed weaknesses in the manufacturing sector. The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped below 50—the threshold for growth—for the first time since November. New orders and production levels contracted, with hiring stalled. Some respondents cited softness in export sales, while others noted weaker domestic demand stemming from government spending cuts, higher payroll taxes and other uncertainties.

On the trade front, manufactured goods exports have grown very slowly in 2013, up less than 1 percent in the first four months relative to the same time frame in 2012. In April, goods imports outpaced exports, widening the deficit from $37.1 billion to $40.3 billion. Europe’s recession, in particular, has decreased sales overseas for our products, with sluggish growth elsewhere in many of our key markets.

These struggles have lessened businesses’ ability to bring on new workers. Manufacturing employment fell by 8,000 workers in May, the third consecutive monthly decrease. The sector has added 41,000 net new employees over the course of the past 12 months, just 1.9 percent of all nonfarm workers created in the economy. That pace is disappointing and a sign that we need the manufacturing economy to flourish again. While manufacturers were making outsized gains to output and employment as recently as a year ago, that pace has stagnated since then. As NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons noted in February in Detroit, a flourishing sector would yield an average of 20,000 new manufacturing workers each month. (continue reading…)

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) said that manufacturing hiring will remain weak in June, but it expects service sector employment to pick up. The Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey is one of the few that look at hiring trends for the current month, and it mostly observes net hiring changes relative to what they were one year ago.

Specifically, 50.8 percent of manufacturers planned to increase employment in June, compared to 13.5 percent expecting to reduce employment. The good news is that this suggests net hiring of 37.3 percent, but it also indicates that the pace has eased from what was seen 12 months ago. In June 2012, just 5.2 percent planned employment decreases, with 49.0 percent hiring in that month. The net hiring rate was therefore 43.8 percent. Therefore, the year-over-year difference in net hiring is a drop of 6.5 percentage points.

In comparison, the net percentage of service sector firms planning increases this month was 42.9 percent, with 49.8 percent of service sector businesses expecting to increase employment in June. At the same time, 6.9 percent anticipating the need to let workers go. These figures are a significant shift from one year ago, when just 31.0 percent were planning to hire. Overall, the net percentage rose 20.5 percentage points from last year.

Chad Moutray is the chief economist, National Association of Manufacturers.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Business Outlook Survey contracted again in May, declining for the first time since February. The composite index of general business conditions declined from 1.3 in April to -5.2 in May. The index was brought lower by reductions in new orders, shipments, and employment. Specifically, the new orders index dropped from -1.0 to -7.9, with over one-third of respondents saying that their sales had declined in the past month.

The indices looking at current activity declined, indicating some sluggishness this month. For instance, the shipments index shifted from modest growth in April (9.1) to a modest contraction in May (-8.5). The percentage of respondents saying that their shipments had declined from the previous month increased from 18.8 percent in April to 32.4 percent in May. The average workweek, unfilled orders, and delivery times were all negative, as well.

Unlike the Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the New York Fed, which was released yesterday, manufacturers in the Philly region were hiring fewer workers in May. The index for employment declined from -6.8 to -8.7. The two surveys did agree, though, on the forward-looking hiring measures. The index of expected employment six months from now rose from 8.2 to 10.0, suggesting that manufacturers plan to increase their hiring in the coming months moderately.

Indeed, manufacturers in the Philly Fed region remain cautiously optimistic about the future. The general business activity measure for six months from now rose from 19.5 to 32.3. Almost 45 percent of those completing the survey anticipate better economic conditions in the coming months, with 36.3 expecting them to be the same. Manufacturers are also planning for increased sales, shipments, and capital spending in the second half of 2013.

Regarding inventories, 58.1 percent of those answering a special question on the topic said that their stockpiles were “about right for current economic conditions.” Just over one-quarter of them expect to decrease their inventories in the second quarter, and in fact, the forward-looking index for inventories reflects a slight contraction.

Chad Moutray is the chief economist, National Association of Manufacturers.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported that small business owner sentiment moved higher last month. The Small Business Optimism Index rose from 89.5 in March to 92.1 in April, its highest level in six months. As you might expect, an improved sales outlook helped to lift these figures, with the net percentage of respondents expecting higher sales increasing from -4 percent to +4 percent. In addition, small businesses appear to be more willing to increase hiring, as well, with the net percentage planning to hire in the next three months rising from zero in March to 6 percent in April.

This does not mean, however, that small businesses have moved beyond their challenges. Keep in mind that small businesses are said to be growing strongly when the Optimism Index exceeds 100, so we are still quite a way from that. Indeed, the net percentage of business owners saying that the next three months were a “good time to expand” was unchanged at four percent. As with past reports, the top reasons cited for it not being a good time to expand were economic uncertainties and the political climate. (continue reading…)

Here is the summary for this week’s Monday Economic Report:

In a slow economic news week, the stock market’s ascent became one of the top headlines. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) passed 15,000 for the first time, a feat that was even more impressive after the depths of the decline during the financial crisis. The DJIA had previously peaked at 14,164.53 on October 11, 2007, before plummeting to a low of 6,547.05 on March 9, 2009. It has slowly moved higher since then, closing last week at 15,118.49. As impressive as the DJIA records might be, there is also a debate about whether the stock market’s all-time highs are warranted given some of the current economy’s weaknesses. Historically low interest rates have helped to push equity values higher, with Americans looking for more attractive yields for their dollars. Regardless of the debate, rising equity values should help to generate more wealth and consumer optimism, and manufacturers hope this means greater spending.

Retail sales data for April will be released this morning, and the consensus estimate is for spending to be flat. This would be consistent with slower growth in personal spending and the reduction in wholesale sales in March. Moreover, while consumer credit rose 3.4 percent in March, much of the higher figure stemmed from increased student loan borrowing. Auto loans were also higher, but revolving credit lines—which include credit cards—declined for the month and were essentially flat over the past year. This suggests some reluctance to take on more debt to support increased consumer spending, which, to the extent that it means smarter personal finance habits, is perhaps a good thing. (continue reading…)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that manufacturing job openings declined from 274,000 in February to 260,000 in March, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report. The number of job postings has stayed by 300,000 since July 2012, staying within a narrow range of 240,000 to 275,000 since then. If there is a longer-term trend, it is that the number of job openings in manufacturing appears to have stalled after topping out at 324,000 in March 2012.

This is also consistent with what we are seeing in the net hiring data, which turned negative again in March for manufacturers for the first time since September 2012. Manufacturers hired 200,000 workers in March, the slowest pace in almost 4 years. This is down from 231,000 in February. Meanwhile, total separations – which include layoffs, quits, and retirements – declined from 225,000 to 205,000 for the month. On the positive side, the separations rate is at an all-time low in the JOLTS data’s 13-year history. Nonetheless, net hiring (or hiring minus separations) was -5,000 in March, down from +6,000 in February, reflecting significant weaknesses in the manufacturing sector.

Looking at the larger macroeconomy, there was some easing for job openings and hiring between February and March, but net hiring was still positive. The number of job postings declined from 3,899,000 to 3,844,000, with both figures representing 2.8 percent of total employment. Net hiring was 46,000, down from 271,000 the month before. The greatest monthly gains in hiring in March occurred primarily in the service sector, primarily from professional and business services (up 24,000) and education and health services (up 16,000).

Chad Moutray is chief economist, National Association of Manufacturers.

Here is the summary from this month’s Global Manufacturing Economic Update:

The global economy has seen some progress since last fall, but growth remains modest at best. There is also a “two steps forward, one step back” feel to some of the latest data. Six of the top 10 markets for U.S.-manufactured goods expanded in March, according to Markit. This is down from seven last month, but up from four last October. Canada, our largest trading partner, saw its manufacturing activity decline, with weaknesses in new orders, exports and hiring. Softness in the United States and Europe were cited as factors.

The other three markets with contracting sales, output and employment levels were in Europe, with its economic downturn widening. The Markit Eurozone Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell from 47.9 in February to 46.8 in March. This index has now contracted for 20 straight months, with little hope of improving anytime soon. While many of the recent headlines have surrounded the failure of the banks in Cyprus or the inconclusive Italian elections, the challenges are ones that confront the entire continent. The unemployment rate has risen to 12 percent, with more than one-quarter of the working population in Greece and Spain out of work, and real GDP is expected to contract throughout the year. This morning, we should learn even more about the manufacturing sector in Europe when new data on industrial production will be released. The data are expected to show a slight decline. (continue reading…)

Here are the files for this week’s Monday Economic Report:

While we have seen some modest improvements in manufacturing activity so far in 2013, these gains have not yet translated into significant increases in hiring. Employment numbers for March were disappointing overall, with only 88,000 nonfarm payroll workers added on net. This was well below the expected increase of 200,000 employees and suggests that the U.S. economy still shows signs of uncertainty. Higher payroll taxes and across-the-board federal spending cuts have eaten away at retail sales and slowed employment growth in some key sectors.

Manufacturers lost 3,000 workers on net in March. As we have seen for much of the past year, hiring in the sector continues to be soft. Over the past 12 months, manufacturing has contributed just 4 percent of the net new jobs in the economy. This is a reversal of the outsized role from the two years before that and something that can be reversed with pro-growth policies like those laid out in the NAM’s Growth Agenda and changed perceptions about the economic and political landscape. In the short term, however, the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) survey of hiring intentions in April suggests that the net percentage of new hiring among manufacturers decelerated over the course of the past month and since this time last year. This contrasts with service sector employment growth, which has picked up of late.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) was also discouraging last week. Manufacturers responding to the survey suggested a slower pace of growth for new orders in March, dampening enthusiasm with a lower-than-expected PMI reading. The ISM PMI fell from 54.2 in February to 51.3 in March. In contrast, two other releases out last week were more encouraging. Factory orders rose a healthy 3.0 percent in February largely on strong demand for aircraft, and construction spending among manufacturers was higher, continuing a steady upward trend and reversing the slight pullback in the second half of last year. However, ideally, both of these gains could be more broad-based, as these gains are highly mixed across the sectors.

One piece of good news in the ISM report was new export orders were rising. With so many manufacturers exploring growth through trade, the higher export numbers were encouraging. The Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau reported that the U.S. trade deficit narrowed in February, with goods exports up to their second-highest level ever. The bulk of that increase stemmed from a narrowing of the petroleum trade balance, with petroleum imports down and exports higher for the month. Outside of petroleum, manufactured goods exports have grown very slowly in the first two months of 2013, up just 2.5 percent. To make the President’s goal of doubling exports by 2015, this pace will need to pick up significantly. In January and February, total exports to Europe and Japan were down, but exports to our three largest trading partners (Canada, Mexico and China) were higher.

This week is a quieter one on the economic front. The retail sales and consumer confidence figures due out on Friday will be closely watched for clues regarding how the payroll tax increase and sequestration might have impacted spending and overall sentiment. Likewise, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) will discuss how small businesses and manufacturers are faring in their latest surveys. Data on business and consumer sentiment were largely mixed in March. Aside from those indicators, the other highlights include new data on job openings and producer prices.

Chad Moutray is the chief economist, National Association of Manufacturers.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that the pace of hiring in the service sector has picked up, but for manufacturers, it appears to be slowing. The monthly Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) report from SHRM says that 50.3 percent of manufacturers plan to increase their hiring in April, which is the exact same rate as one year ago. At the same time, there are 12.5 percent of manufacturers planning to decrease employment, up from 7.0 percent last year. As a result, the net percentage of new hiring in the manufacturing sector dropped from 43.3 in April 2012 to 37.8 today, or 5.5 percentage points lower.

In addition, this represents a deceleration of hiring from last month’s report, as well. In the March survey, there were 58.0 percent of manufacturers who said that they planned to increase hiring, compared to 8.9 percent planning to decrease. Therefore, the net hiring rate for March was 49.1 percent, suggesting that the pace of net hiring has slowed over the course of the past month (and not just the past year) in the manufacturing sector.

With that said, it appears to be getting easier to recruit new manufacturing workers. In March 2012, 18.3 percent of respondents said that it was more difficult to recruit, with just 1.1 percent feeling that it was easier for a net percentage of 17.2 percent. In this latest survey, the net percentage had dropped to 8.4 percent, with 7.7 percent suggesting that recruiting had become less difficult. Still, 16.1 percent continue to see hiring as a challenge. (continue reading…)