manufacturing Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Green Aluminum? Complex Deal Seeks To Restart The Last Aluminum Smelter In The NW And Cut Pollution

By Tom Banse February 3, 2022

The potential restart of the Intalco Works smelter near Ferndale, Washington, calls for millions in taxpayer dollars and a cheap power deal.

A complex deal is taking shape to revive the Pacific Northwest's last remaining aluminum smelter. Alcoa idled its Intalco Works smelter near Ferndale, Washington, a year-and-a-half ago and laid off virtually all the workers there. The plan to bring this industry back involves a new owner, cash from taxpayers and an uncertain new contract for cut-rate wholesale power. Read More

‘It’s Madness’: American Factories Scramble To Secure Critical Supplies

By NPR News March 3, 2021

An employee makes respiratory masks in a family-owned medical equipment factory in Miami on Feb. 15. American manufacturers are thriving but they are running into an unexpected problem: finding critical supplies. CREDIT: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Unexpectedly strong demand for furniture, appliances and other manufactured goods is providing a windfall to many of the country's industries. But as factory gears spin faster to meet the surging demand, a big headache is emerging: Supply chains are getting stretched more than ever, and critical components are proving a lot harder to procure. Read More

Boeing To Lay Off Thousands More Workers, Citing ‘Devastating’ Pandemic Impact,

By NPR News October 28, 2020

Boeing will be laying off thousands of additional employees as the airplane manufacturer continues to lose money due to the coronavirus pandemic. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP

Boeing started the year with about 160,000 employees around the world, but in the memo to employees, Calhoun said "we anticipate a workforce of about 130,000 employees by the end of 2021." Continue Reading Boeing To Lay Off Thousands Read More

U.S. Economy Drops 32.9% In Worst GDP Report Ever

By NPR News July 30, 2020

A movie theater is seen closed due to the coronavirus pandemic on July 2, 2020, in Brea, Calif. The U.S. economy shrank at a record 32.9% rate in the second quarter as the pandemic cost tens of millions of jobs. CREDIT: Jae C. Hong/AP

The coronavirus triggered the sharpest economic contraction in modern history in the second quarter as the pandemic hammered the economy, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Continue Reading U.S. Economy Drops 32.9% In Worst GDP Report EverRead More

Boeing And Airbus Halt Production Temporarily, Continuing Global Change In Operations

By NPR News April 6, 2020

Employees work on Airbus SE A321 fuselages at the company's final assembly line facility in Mobile, Ala. in 2017. CREDIT: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Airbus and Boeing halt production of its jets because of the coronavirus. Orders for new planes have fallen as air travel has plummeted due to the pandemic. Continue Reading Boeing And Airbus Halt Production Temporarily, Read More

Women Now Outnumber Men On U.S. Payrolls

By NPR News January 10, 2020

Women now hold just over half of all payroll jobs in America, for only the second time in history. Continue Reading Women Now Outnumber Men On U.S. PayrollsRead More

U.S. Employers Add 136,000 Jobs; Unemployment Dips To 3.5 Percent

By NPR News October 4, 2019

A worker assembles an industrial valve at Emerson Electric Co.'s factory in Marshalltown, Iowa. The manufacturing sector has seen a slowdown amid the ongoing trade war. CREDIT: Tim Aeppel/Reuters

An index of manufacturing activity released on Tuesday showed the factory sector contracting for the second consecutive month. Factories shed 2,000 jobs in September. Continue Reading U.S. Employers Add 136,000 Jobs; Unemployment Dips To 3.5 Read More

A young startup called Relativity is pushing space technology forward by pushing 3D printing technology to its limits, building the largest metal 3D printer in the world. Continue Reading 3D Printing Spurs Revolutionary Manufacturing AdvancesRead More