U.S. manufacturing labor productivity (measured in output per hour of labor) increased 43 percent between 2001 and 2011. However, over the next ten years, productivity fell by 2.8 percent.

Fact of the Week: US Manufacturing Labor Productivity Fell by 2.8 Percent Between 2011 and 2021

Manufacturing’s smaller role in the U.S. economy is hotly debated, with many blaming automation for its demise. But analysis of a recently expanded BEA and BLS dataset demonstrates both how stark manufacturing’s decline has been and that fears of automation are largely misplaced.

Fact of the Week: Manufacturing Contributed 14 Percent of US Economic Growth From 1987 to 2016, But is Now Reducing Growth by 1 Percent

After falling from its peak of 5.7 percent in 2006 to 3.6 percent in 2019, the United States’ manufacturing trade deficit as a share of its GDP has risen to 5.3 percent in 2022 through June, its highest level since 2008 (5.5 percent).

Fact of the Week: The US Manufacturing Trade Deficit as a Share of GDP Through June Is at Its Highest Level Since 2008

The fall in the value-added of foreign inputs as a share of China’s gross exports reflects an increased reliance on domestic production of intermediate goods and services and a shift toward production for domestic consumption.

Fact of the Week: Foreign-Produced Content of Chinese Exports Fell From 21.9 Percent in 2008 to 17.2 Percent in 2018

A study finds that over 99 percent of a sample of 5,260 listed Chinese firms received government subsidies totaling €35.3 billion in 2022, double the amount from 2015.

Fact of the Week: More Than 99 Percent of Listed Firms in China Receive Direct Subsidies From the Chinese Government

According to the latest report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), China surpassed the United States in industrial robot density in 2021.

Fact of the Week: China Surpassed the United States in Industrial Robot Density in 2021

In the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) “Global Trade Outlook and Statistics Report for 2025,” the WTO predicts that global merchandise trade will decline by 0.2 percentage points.

Fact of the Week: World Merchandise Trade Is Projected To Fall by 0.2 Percent in 2025

China ranked 11th overall in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s 2022 Global Innovation Index, up 23 spots from ten years ago.

Fact of the Week: China Jumps to 11th Overall in the 2022 Global Innovation Index

The global average for industrial robots per 10,000 workers increased to 74 robots in 2016 from 66 robots in 2015, a 12 percent increase, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: A New Study Finds the US Share of Global Manufacturing Will Fall to 11 Percent by 2030

Related

Fact of the Week: US Manufacturing Labor Productivity Fell by 2.8 Percent Between 2011 and 2021

Fact of the Week: Manufacturing Contributed 14 Percent of US Economic Growth From 1987 to 2016, But is Now Reducing Growth by 1 Percent

Fact of the Week: The US Manufacturing Trade Deficit as a Share of GDP Through June Is at Its Highest Level Since 2008