Posts for June 9. 2010

BERNANKE SAYS NO 'DOUBLE DIP' RECESSION

June 9, 2010 – Today in Manufacturing.net
Fed Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he is hopeful the economy will gain traction, but economic growth won't be robust enough to quickly drive down unemployment... continue

GLOBAL ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE IMPACT UTAH\'S SMALL BUSINESSES

June 9, 2010 – UB Daily

The following is Zions Bank's Small Business Index for Utah, May 2010 release. The Zions Bank Small Business Index for Utah was 103.5 in May 2010, up from a revised 98.
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JOB OPENINGS RISE TO HIGHEST LEVEL IN APRIL

June 9, 2010 – Today in Manufacturing.net
Number of jobs advertised at the end of April rose to 3.1 million from 2.8 million in March -- the most openings since December 2008 ... continue

MANUFACTURING MEANS JOBS!

June 9, 2010 – NAM Capital Connection

While primary elections are always unique, the outcomes of yesterday’s elections in 12 states across the country continue the theme seen in earlier contests this year: the old way of doing things does not guarantee victory. Instead of simply picking the party endorsed candidate or listening to ideological outside interests or voting for the incumbent, voters appear to be very selective in whom they listen to and who they trust when choosing their candidates. Their decisions in the voting booth are being made based on their estimation of how well the candidates understand their personal situation and will stand up for their values. While turnout in these primary and runoff elections was generally low, those who did vote are highly engaged and personally invested in these decisions.


The marquee Arkansas primary runoff contest, in which incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) came from behind to win over Lieutenant Gov. Bill Halter (D), was ultimately a major defeat for Big Labor. Reports indicate national labor groups combined spent between $8 and $10 million in favor of Halter against Lincoln based on her opposition to their key legislative priority, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), and the inclusion of a public option in the recent health care bill. Lincoln ended up winning the right to run for re-election by four points, 52 percent to 48 percent. In addition to failing to secure a Halter win, all of that cash spent on his behalf could not even induce Halter to publicly support EFCA; he instead chose to avoid taking a stand on the issue altogether. Clearly there were other issues more important to the voters of Arkansas. But while all of those resources produced nothing but an embarrassing defeat for Big Labor, they are a clear indicator of what they and other anti-business interests are willing to do in November as their allies in Congress attempt to silence business through legislative efforts like the DISCLOSE Act.

Other noteworthy results from yesterday’s elections include the selection of two former female CEOs to run for statewide office in California – former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R) and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (R) won the Republican nomination to run for governor and senator, respectively.

In South Carolina, state Rep. Nikki Haley (R) withstood a series of late-breaking personal attacks to achieve a significant lead in the Republican nomination contest for South Carolina Governor. While her 27-point lead over Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-SC-3) was not enough to avoid a runoff contest, it is evident that South Carolina voters ignored the mud-slinging and focused instead on Haley’s record and platform. In the Palmetto State’s 4th District, incumbent Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC-4) was forced into a runoff election against Trey Gowdy (R). Gowdy heads into the runoff with a strong advantage having scored an 11-point primary lead yesterday over Inglis, 39 percent to 28 percent.

And ending months of speculation, Nevada Republicans selected their candidate to go head-to-head with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D). Former state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle (R) won the Republican nomination with the backing of the conservative tea party and Club for Growth in the contentious primary. Recent polling shows that Reid could be vulnerable to a challenge. In the RealClearPolitics average of surveys, Angle leads Reid by a slight 1.7 points, 43 percent to 41.3 percent.

With jobs and the economy at the forefront of the debate in Washington and at kitchen tables throughout America, the 2010 elections will be the most important in decades, and we will continue to keep you informed on key developments and the major issues impacting manufacturers. Millions of American manufacturing employees are wondering what Washington and their elected officials are going to do next. Manufacturers are facing tremendous regulatory and legislative uncertainty that makes it difficult to focus on innovation and job creation. With so much at stake, it is more important than ever for manufacturers and their employees to stay engaged, to vote and to make sure our elected officials and candidates clearly understand: “Manufacturing Means Jobs!”

AP: MORE FACTORY JOBS EASE ECONOMIC STRESS

June 9, 2010 – Today in Manufacturing.net
Manufacturing job gains in Midwest helped lower nation's economic stress in April to lowest point in five months, according to The Associated Press' monthly analysis... continue