Good news: things are still looking up for next year. A recent forecast by the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation has analyzed predictors for the manufacturing sector and claims that we should expect a modest 3% increase domestically for 2012.
Interesting tidbits:
"manufacturing production to rise by 3 percent in 2012, with 4 percent growth in 2013. The report analyzes 27 major manufacturing sectors and notes that it anticipates overall production in 2011 to grow by 4 percent, with economic growth picking up in the second half of the year."
"According to the report, non-high-tech manufacturing production (which accounts for 90 percent of the total) is anticipated to increase 4 percent in 2011 before decelerating slightly to 3 percent in both 2012 and in 2013. High-tech industrial production (computers and electronic products), projected to expand by 8 percent in 2011, should increase by 6 percent in 2012 and show 10 percent growth in 2013."
"The current report also features MAPI’s annual five-year forecast. GDP is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.3 percent from 2014 to 2016, high-tech manufacturing at 14 percent, and non-high-tech manufacturing at 3 percent."
It seems high tech manufacturing is leading the charge into growth and rebound for the upcoming years, not unexpected but good to watch if you want to get involved.
