News & Insights

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers announced that Keira Driansky, EVP and President of North America of Ipsen, has been named to the NAM Board of Directors. Driansky will join the NAM Board to bolster the association’s leadership in policy advocacy, legal action, workforce solutions and operational excellence. She will help the industry advance a manufacturing competitiveness agenda that promotes opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.

Founded in 1895, the NAM, guided by its Board of Directors, is the largest industrial trade association in the United States. The NAM is the nation’s most influential manufacturing advocate, and its membership includes some of the world’s most iconic brands and many of the small manufacturers that power the U.S. economy. Approximately 85% of the NAM’s members are small and medium-sized businesses. Executives on the NAM Board, which comprises leaders representing companies of all sizes in every industrial sector, are the driving force behind the NAM’s efforts.

The NAM is a one-stop shop for manufacturers, telling the story of our industry and equipping manufacturers with invaluable resources through news and insights, thought leadership and partnerships with our digital transformation division, the Manufacturing Leadership Council; our 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate, the Manufacturing Institute; and our innovation management division, the Innovation Research Interchange.

The NAM and its members are at the forefront of every important policy debate, focusing on solutions to help the industry compete in the global economy and to help the country address manufacturing policy priorities ranging from advancing pro-growth tax policies and restoring regulatory certainty to strengthening energy security and building a workforce of the future.

“It’s an honor to join the NAM Board and collaborate with fellow leaders who are passionate about strengthening American manufacturing,” said Driansky. “I’m excited to contribute to the industry’s continued growth and innovation.”

“The next few years will shape the manufacturing industry’s trajectory for decades. At a pivotal moment, the NAM will be stronger thanks to Keira’s service on our Board of Directors,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Keira will help lead the charge as we drive a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that empowers every manufacturer across the United States to build, invest, grow, thrive and lead. On behalf of the entire NAM team, I am grateful for Keira’s partnership as we advance the values that have made America exceptional and our industry strong—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – With a potential government shutdown looming, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“A functioning government is essential for a strong manufacturing economy. Manufacturers need certainty, not disruption. Our leaders in Washington must come together and keep the government open, so it continues working for the American people. From supply chains and permitting to regulatory certainty, product approvals and facility inspections, manufacturers rely on the government to do its job and provide the stability that drives growth.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Existing home sales edged down 0.2% in August but increased 1.8% over the year. Housing inventory stepped down to 1.53 million units, reflecting a 1.3% decline from July but an 11.7% jump from last year. The median existing home price was $422,600, up 2.0% from last year. The Midwest and West posted monthly increases in existing home sales, while the Northeast and South registered declines in August.

Single-family home sales inched down 0.3% in August, but rose 2.5% over the year, with the median price increasing 1.9% from August 2024 to $427,800. Condo and co-op sales stayed the same over the month at 370,000 units in August but declined 5.1% from last year. Meanwhile, the median price for condos and co-ops stepped up 0.6% from the prior year to $366,800.

Homes were typically on the market for 31 days in August, up from 28 days in July and 26 days in August 2024. First-time buyers made up 28% of sales in August, the same as July but up from 26% in August 2024.

The S&P Global Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI slipped from 53 to 52 in September, a two-month low. However, it remained above the 50-point marker that signals growth in business conditions. Factory production rose as new orders increased for a ninth straight month. On the other hand, weak sales growth led inventories to rise at an unprecedented rate to the largest buildup of finished goods inventories in the 18 years of the survey. Meanwhile, supplier delivery times in September lengthened to the greatest degree in four months. Manufacturers’ input cost inflation remained elevated at one of the fastest paces since the pandemic. Meanwhile, selling prices for goods cooled to the slowest rate since January as manufacturing firms reported difficulties passing higher costs on to customers due to weak demand and growing competition. Tariffs were again overwhelmingly cited as the principal cause of further cost increases in September.

Overall business activity slowed to a three-month low, falling from 54.6 in August to 53.6 in September. Despite the weaker pace of growth, the third quarter as a whole has seen the strongest average monthly expansion since the fourth quarter of 2024, with output growing for 32 consecutive months. The services sector drove the increase in business activity in September, while the manufacturing sector grew at a weaker rate than in August. Overall, new order growth slowed despite exports rising for the first time since March. As with manufacturing, prices increased but at the slowest pace since April.

Meanwhile, optimism about future business conditions improved in September, partly reflecting the anticipated beneficial impact of lower interest rates and despite continued fears regarding tariff policies and broader political uncertainty. Furthermore, respondents remain hopeful that tariffs could stimulate domestic production in the coming year.

Manufacturing activity in the Fifth District deteriorated in September, and at a faster pace than the previous month, with the composite manufacturing index dropping from -7 to -17. Meanwhile, the local business conditions index fell from 0 in August to -12 in September. Despite worsening conditions, manufacturers are less pessimistic about the future, with the outlook for future local business conditions rising from -10 in August to -1 in September. The Fifth Federal Reserve District consists of Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, the District of Columbia and most of West Virginia.

Among its components, shipments, new orders and employment all remained negative and contracted at a faster pace in September, dropping to -20, -15 and -15, respectively. The vendor lead time index stepped down from 11 in August to 10 in September. Meanwhile, the share of firms reporting backlogs worsened, falling from -12 to -21. The average growth rate of prices paid declined slightly, while growth in prices received increased in September.

Looking ahead, firms still expect both price indexes to rise in the next 12 months, with prices paid rising at a slower rate and prices received at a faster rate than forecasted in August. Expectations for future shipments decreased from 13 to 0, while new orders inched down from 9 to 8. Expectations for backlogs improved slightly, moving from -10 to -8. Meanwhile, firms’ expectations about equipment and software spending remained negative but improved to -9 from -18. Expectations for capital expenditures also stayed negative but stepped up to -11 from -15 in August. In sum, businesses in the Fifth District are slightly more optimistic about prospects for future growth, but they are still avoiding making new investment plans.

Manufacturing activity stepped up in the Tenth District in September, with the month-over-month composite index at 4, up 3 points from August. Meanwhile, expectations for future activity remained expansionary but softened, declining 4 points to 7. The Tenth Federal Reserve District encompasses the western third of Missouri; all of Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming; and the northern half of New Mexico. The month-over-month rise in activity was due to increases in durable manufacturing, while nondurable manufacturing activity slowed. New orders slowed while production increased. Shipments ticked up, while new orders for exports decreased, but at a slower pace than the prior month.

Production increased from 0 to 4, while new orders decreased from 5 to 2. New export orders remained negative but rose from -15 to -9 over the month. Employment jumped in September, advancing from 0 to 7, and the average employee workweek remained unchanged at 3. The backlog of orders ticked up from -15 to -13. Both the pace of growth for prices received and paid eased month-over-month, with raw material prices falling from 43 to 40 and prices received decreasing 8 points to 13. Over the year, prices received rose at a slower pace, slipping 6 points to 55, while prices for raw materials stepped up from 69 to 74.

In September, survey respondents were asked about expectations for employment and product demand for 2026. The responses were mixed but mostly positive. Approximately 46% of firms expect their employment levels to be slightly higher by the end of 2026, while 2% of firms expect them to be significantly higher, and 35% expect no change. Meanwhile, 15% of firms expect employment levels will be slightly lower, while 2% expect they will be significantly lower. When firms were asked about demand for their products in 2026, half of the firms expect demand to be slightly higher in 2026, while 7% expect demand to be significantly higher. On the other hand, 20% of firms expect no change, 20% expect demand to be slightly lower and 3% expect it to be significantly lower.

Demand for U.S. durable goods bounced back in August following two months of declines, according to U.S. Census Bureau preliminary data out Thursday.

What’s going on: New orders for durable manufactured items rose $8.9 billion, or 2.9%, to $312.1 billion last month, led by a surge in transportation equipment.

• The figures come after a 2.7% July decrease in durable goods orders and a 9.3% decline in June.
• Excluding transportation, new orders went up 0.4%, and excluding defense, they rose 1.9%.
• Orders for transportation equipment, which tend to be volatile month to month, went up $8.1 billion, or 7.9%, to $110.2 billion after declining 9.4% in July.

Shipments and unfilled orders: In August, durable goods shipments inched down $0.5 billion, or 0.2%, to $307.5 billion, following a 1.6% increase in July.

• Unfilled orders, which have risen for 13 of the past 14 months, rose $9.6 billion last month, or 0.7%, to $1,479.0 billion after a flat July.

Inventories and capital goods: Inventories of durable goods ticked down in August, decreasing $0.1 billion, following 10 back-to-back monthly increases.

• Nondefense new orders for durable goods increased $4.6 billion, or 5.1%, to $95.0 billion in August. Shipments declined $0.7 billion, or 0.8%, to $89.2 billion.

In other economic news: Sales of pre-owned homes declined 0.2% in August, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.0 million units ( The Wall Street Journal, subscription).

• The median home price rose to $422,600, up 2% from August 2024 and the highest-ever price for August.

Late last week, the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, which advises the Centers for Disease Control on vaccine safety and efficacy, recommended changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.

What’s going on: ACIP voted on a recommendation that children age 4 and under no longer receive the combined measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine but instead receive two separate shots: one to vaccinate against measles, mumps, and rubella, and a separate varicella (chickenpox) shot.

Why it matters: The Vaccines for Children Program, and other federal health programs such as Medicaid, use ACIP recommendations to determine vaccine coverage. The committee’s vote—assuming the CDC director approves the recommendation, which is expected—means that these programs likely will no longer cover the MMRV shot for children under the age of 4.

• The combined MMRV vaccine has been proven safe and effective, according to the CDC itself.
• The vote also means private health insurers are no longer required to cover these vaccines. However, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) said its members will continue coverage of these and other previously recommended vaccines through the end of 2026.

What’s next: Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill must approve ACIP’s recommendations. In the past, CDC directors have almost always taken recommendations from ACIP.

• Some states, including California, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington, have issued their own guidance in an attempt to maintain access to these vaccines.

The NAM says: “Vaccines have revolutionized public health, saved millions from serious and deadly illnesses, and insulated our economy from destabilizing epidemics,” said NAM Vice President of Domestic Policy Jake Kuhns. “Continued access to immunizations is important to help keep manufacturing workers and their families safe and healthy.”

Incidents of high-value “man in the middle” cyber fraud have risen in recent years, taking a financial toll on global shipping (BBC).

What’s going on: “This type of fraud involves a hacker being able to intercept the communication between two parties, such as emails. The criminal then impersonates both in order to try to steal [global shipping firms’] sensitive information, such as log-in details or financial data, or even to take control of a company’s computer system.”

• The number of attacks is increasing, having gone from 10 in 2021 to at least 64 in 2024, according to a research group at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.

Who’s doing it: “Many incidents are linked to the governments of four countries . . .  Russia, China, North Korea and Iran . . . Other attacks are purely for financial extortion, be it gangs from Nigeria or elsewhere.”

Why it’s important: “Law firm HFW’s data shows that such hacking is a growing problem for the shipping sector, both attacks on ships and ports. It says that between 2022 and 2023 the cost of dealing with an attack doubled to an average of $550,000.”

• In those cases where the firms are unable to get rid of the cyber criminals and are forced to pay them, “HFW says the average cost of a ransom payment is now $3.2 million.”

A big target: About 80% of the world’s trade travels by ocean, and disruptions caused by hackers can make shipping firms’ costs increase enormously, “leav[ing] them short of capacity.”

Why it’s on the rise: The shipping industry’s increasing digitalization means “there are now simply more routes for hackers to use . . . while new communication technologies, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service, for example, have meant that ships have become more connected to the outside world. And therefore more hackable.”

• Compounding the problem is that adoption of digital technologies in the sector often happens in “a piecemeal way, and involves technology that can go rapidly out of date”—in large part because firms can’t afford to have their ships out of commission long enough for updates.
• Also, sensors used by ships to monitor emissions transmit data hackers can often access.

How it’s being addressed: “Ship management systems are now required—rather than simply advised— to include increasingly stringent cyber security measures, ranging from basic security hygiene to more technical operational and IT measures.”

NAM in action: The NAM supports legislation to crack down on supply chain theft and fraud and is working with industry partners to highlight the growing issue for policymakers.

The Manufacturing Institute, the 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, announced that Amatrol will be an official sponsor of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education USA.

The background: FAME USA, an initiative founded by Toyota and now run by the MI, is the premier American model of manufacturing skills training, developing highly skilled, professional and sought-after talent to meet the unique needs and challenges of modern manufacturing.

• Amatrol is a globally recognized leader in technical education, providing critical certification, training equipment and continuing education materials to educational institutions and manufacturers.

The partnership: Amatrol is now the exclusive FAME training equipment and content sponsor for the advanced manufacturing, industrial maintenance and smart manufacturing space.

• Together, the two institutions will advance workforce readiness and upskilling as the sector embraces artificial intelligence and the Manufacturing 4.0 revolution.
• Amatrol will continue its Diamond Sponsorship of the FAME National Conference while extending its support to the MI’s Workforce Summit as a Gold Sponsor.

The MI says: “The Manufacturing Institute’s mission is building and strengthening the manufacturing workforce, and FAME USA is a key part of fulfilling that mission. Manufacturers will need to fill 3.8 million jobs by 2033, and half of those are expected to go unfilled because we don’t have the people with the right skills,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee.

• “Through the partnership with Amatrol, we’re creating a clear pathway for FAME USA chapters to access top-tier training resources—whether ensuring new chapters start with great equipment from day one, or giving existing chapters the opportunity to strengthen and expand their training programs as needs evolve.”

“Most importantly, this will allow us to work more cohesively with instructors throughout the FAME initiative and help them be more successful,” said Amatrol President Paul Perkins.