A growing body of research is trying to measure whether economies enmeshed in global value chains have fared better or worse during the pandemic than they would’ve if production lines were closer to home. But there’s no definitive answer yet.…
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While our country continues to face exceptional challenges at the hands of the pandemic, extreme adversity is not unique to 2020. In recent years, the impacts of severe global weather events caused by the climate crisis, escalating trade wars and…
A bill that would have fundamentally changed how garment workers are paid had enough votes to pass during last year’s legislative session, its supporters say, but ran out of time during the session’s frenzied final hours. This year, the Garment Worker Protection…
The immediate consequences of natural disasters for global value chains are well-documented. But little is known about the longer term consequences. Four economists explore the long-term impact of the 2011 earthquake in Japan on auto and electronics supply chains data…
When a worker at a Thuan Phuong Group factory in Ho Chi Minh City became a suspected coronavirus case in early June this year, the company didn’t send most of the facility’s workers home. Instead, around 1,000 spent the next…
As we slowly open the living room drapes to peek at the pandemic landscape, we see that a lot has changed. Our relationship with work is different. Many companies are moving to flexible and remote attendance with a greater reliance…
There are some undeniable and important trends in manufacturing at the moment. Manufacturers are still grappling with supply chain disruptions and difficulties sourcing raw materials. Even if they can find what they need, often prices have increased to levels that…
Cars selling above sticker price, bidding wars on houses, and restaurants offering 401(k)s to waitstaff—these are just a few of the surprises of 2021. The U.S. economy has rebounded from the devastation of 2020 faster than anyone expected. While other developed…
PRAIRIE GROVE — One industry in Prairie Grove has tripled its business in the past eight years and plans to build a 40,000-square-foot expansion to meet its capacity needs and prepare for the future. PolyTech Plastic Molding & Extrusion owner…
Canada again beats Mexico, remains top US trade partner Canada was the top trading partner of the United States in June, followed by Mexico and China, according to data released Thursday from the U.S. Census Bureau. It was the second-consecutive month…
Washington (AP) — Game maker Eric Poses made a worst-case card game last year, bitterly mentioning how the coronavirus overturned normal life. He didn’t know. With an unpredictable twist on the pose, his game itself will be caught up in…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Game maker Eric Poses last year created The Worst-Case Scenario Card Game, making a wry reference to the way the coronavirus had upended normal life. He had no idea. In a twist that Poses never could have…
3D printing's weakness: Economics The exact share of 3D printed goods in worldwide manufacturing isn't known. But for some niche markets, notably in dentistry, medical devices and hearing aids, we know that it amounts to 75 to 100% of total…
A prominent integrator of industrial inkjet printers is expanding its cylindrical inkjet printers line and shortening lead times for equipment deliveries. This month, Engineered Printing Solutions (EPS) announced the debut of its BottleJet DualSpin inkjet printer, a high-speed solution for the mass-customization of…
China’s Xinjiang province, nestled against Kazakhstan and Russia, may be a three-day drive from the country’s economic center in Shanghai, but the area manufactures 45% of all polysilicon used across the globe. About 95% of all solar photovoltaic modules are…
Shortening and closing supply chain gaps for essential products will immediately benefit the following industries: personal protective equipment (PPE), medical device manufacturing, electronics and defense. Sixty percent of reshoring cases after March 2020 mention the pandemic as a factor in…
In May 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surprised the U.S. by announcing that masks were no longer required for people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. It was phenomenal news for those who endured 14 months…
The soaring costs of shipping are prompting companies to reconsider their supply chains and look for alternative sourcing. A new report by supply chain platform provider Thomas indicates a pronounced increase in manufacturers’ interest in shifting sourcing. Its survey of…
Manufacturing businesses are becoming increasingly predictive, adaptive and responsive as result of improvements made following 18 months of disruption, lockdowns and shortages. Almost three-quarters of manufacturing executives (74%) describe their organisation’s current production operation as ‘highly agile’ or ‘extremely agile’.…