Labor

  • Two workers in safety gear conducting quality inspections of stacked large concrete squares inside an industrial plant.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Alamy
    Image attribution tooltip

    Thousands of manufacturing layoffs announced in September

    Avid Medical, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dreyer’s, MasterBrand Cabinets, Wonder Group and Carry-On Trailer were among dozens of companies that announced facility closures or changes last month.

    By • Oct. 9, 2026
  • A large, gunmetal-gray building with 10 doors numbered, with a shipyard and water in front of it.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Anduril Industries
    Image attribution tooltip

    Anduril, US Navy to build $6.6B shipyard in Maryland

    The facility, dubbed Arsenal-2, will manufacture components for Virginia-class submarines. The new project follows DOD’s new Project Meridien initiative, which Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey is co-leading.

    By • Oct. 7, 2026
  • Automotive Industrial Manufacturing Facility Working on Vehicle Production with Robotic Arms. Explore the Trendline➔
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Manufacturing Dive

    Check out some of our publication’s top stories so far in 2026.

    By Manufacturing Dive staff
  • Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Boston Dynamics
    Image attribution tooltip

    Boston Dynamics hires former Amazon AI leader as CEO

    Rohit Prasad, who helped to scale the Alexa assistant and Nova generative models, is taking the helm to lead the next era of physical AI.

    By • Oct. 7, 2026
  • A person whose upper body is blurred as they work on an engine inside a factory.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Manufacturing industry adds 9K jobs in September

    The plastics and rubber products sector added the most jobs last month with 4,600, while paper, furniture and related segments each lost at least 2,000, according to BLS. August’s adjusted new jobs count dropped to 15,000.

    By • Oct. 2, 2026
  • Caterpillar's compact telehandler raises its industrial arm above a house during a construction project.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Caterpillar
    Image attribution tooltip

    Caterpillar and Ultium Cells make $1B facility investments

    Additionally, Genentech and Avio USA broke ground on separate projects this week including a device fill-finish expansion and a solid rocket motor factory.

    By • Oct. 2, 2026
  • A gray building with glass windows and the white Boeing logo on its top front.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sara Samora/Manufacturing Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Nearly 10K Boeing workers ratify contract, avoiding West Coast strike

    The union contract between SPEEA-represented employees at the company’s facilites across Washington, Oregon, Utah and California was set to expire Oct. 6.

    By • Oct. 1, 2026
  • A person wearing safety glasses and a dark blue t-shirt working a machine.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Jonathan Estrada-Eguizabal / U.S. Navy.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Defense Department expands workforce development program to 3 states

    The BuildFreedom.US initiative will extend to Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. The program launched in July and aims to bring awareness to “AI-proof” jobs in the defense industrial base’s talent pipeline.

    By • Sept. 28, 2026
  • Workers operate Amazon's robotics manufacturing line in Massachusetts.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Amazon
    Image attribution tooltip

    Amazon, US Steel, Pirelli and others make facility investments

    Additionally, Eli Lilly broke ground on its Houston facility, and auto parts suppliers Hansae and Toyotetsu announced U.S. expansions. Meanwhile, Amy’s Kitchen and others are shuttering facilities.

    By , • Sept. 25, 2026
  • A stone-gray shade building with onyx shade lining, with the red, white and yellow Lego logo sign on the side of it.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of The Lego Group
    Image attribution tooltip

    Lego to spend $400M expanding manufacturing facility in Mexico

    The toymaker plans to add packing and warehousing capabilities, as well as create 1,300 jobs at the Monterrey site.

    By • Sept. 24, 2026
  • One person in a camouflage uniform, and seven others in business attire, standing on stage holding an orange ribbon.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Arkansas Economic Development Commission
    Image attribution tooltip

    Hanwha Defense to establish $2.2B manufacturing campus in Arkansas

    The South Korea-based conglomerate’s subsidiary will produce propellant charges for 155mm artillery and base-bleed units on the U.S. Army’s Pine Bluff Arsenal installation.

    By • Sept. 22, 2026
  • An external overhead view of a large tan building surrounded by a parking lot with cars, grass and trees.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Reckitt
    Image attribution tooltip

    Manufacturing output down in August; investments by Reckitt, Hitachi

    Several companies also announced workforce reductions recently, including Sapporo and Pepsi. Meanwhile, industrial production remained flat and orders of metalworking machinery increased.

    By , • Sept. 18, 2026
  • A robotic arm lifts a pallet of merchandise inside an Amazon Fulfillment Center on Feb. 13, 2015 in DuPont, Washington.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stephen Brashear via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    ‘We’re going to stop talking about AI,’ and other industrial predictions

    Executives and leaders from Fanuc America, Honeywell Technologies, Generac and Briggs and Stratton discussed the current impacts and future of artificial intelligence at IMTS in Chicago.

    By • Sept. 17, 2026
  • Three people in professional business attire walking, with a white and red-brick building in the background under the sun.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Darren McGee/ Office of Governor Kathy Hochu
    Image attribution tooltip

    4 states open manufacturing workforce facilities, expand programs

    New York, Illinois, New Mexico and Ohio officials have passed laws and formed industry partnerships with local schools to boost workforce development in their respective states.

    By • Sept. 17, 2026
  • A person wearing a helmet, safety glasses, vest and gloves working on a portable device that powers the yellow robotic arms.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    NIST awards over $30M to 12 Manufacturing Extension Partnership sites

    The money will back MEP centers in 11 states and Puerto Rico to assist small- and medium-sized businesses with adopting advanced technologies such as AI, automation and robotics.

    By • Sept. 16, 2026
  • Array, Albuquerque, New Mexico
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Array Technologies
    Image attribution tooltip

    Nearly $2B in facility investments by US Steel, USA Rare Earth and more

    Array Technologies, Covenant, Siemens Healthineers, SteelFab and Curia also announced expansions and new factories in recent weeks.

    By • Sept. 11, 2026
  • Ford Super Duty pickup
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Ford
    Image attribution tooltip

    Ford invests $1B in its key Kentucky plant for truck, SUV production

    The new paint shop for Ford’s highest-revenue assembly plant will boost efficiency, the automaker says.

    By Bengt Halvorson • Sept. 11, 2026
  • A person stacks boxes on a pallet at a Baker Industries location
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Baker Industries
    Image attribution tooltip

    How Baker Industries and its 101-year-old founder fuel a talent pipeline

    The growing Pennsylvania nonprofit employs a host of people with disabilities, criminal justice backgrounds or other factors that may limit their job options. 

    By Shefali Kapadia • Sept. 8, 2026
  • A group of people in hard hats work in a large metal processing facility
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    US manufacturing adds 16,000 jobs in August

    The machinery manufacturing sector gained the most workers at 6,100 jobs, while the motor vehicles and parts industry lost 4,500.

    By • Sept. 4, 2026
  • steel products in the warehouse ready to be sent to customers.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Hyundai Steel project moves ahead despite local pushback

    Residents and organizers are challenging how Louisiana fast-tracked a $5.8 billion project with limited public input. They raised environmental and legal concerns at a hearing Tuesday.

    By • Sept. 2, 2026
  • A gray building with glass windows and the white Boeing logo on its top front.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sara Samora/Manufacturing Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Boeing, Deere and US Steel navigate labor union contract negotiations

    The aerospace maker plans to resume contractual talks after Labor Day. Meanwhile, U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs agreed to extend their steelworker contracts by 30 days.

    By • Sept. 1, 2026
  • Bill Gates speaks onstage at a summit.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Bennett Raglin via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Industry rejects Bill Gates’ call for robotics and AI tax

    Companies can write-off robots as business expenses under the current tax system, incentivizing machines over humans, the Microsoft co-founder said. Critics say the idea would hamper productivity and competitiveness.

    By • Aug. 27, 2026
  • A row of rockets on launch pads set to lift off at dusk.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Screenshot: SpaceX / X

    Image attribution tooltip

    SpaceX plans $100B spaceport in Louisiana

    The investment includes a propellant production facility and vehicle processing. The land was previously owned by ExxonMobil, which was sued for allegedly polluting the state’s coastal marshes.

    By • Aug. 27, 2026
  • Three people at a white table wearing shields as they weld metal.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of New England Institute of Technology
    Image attribution tooltip

    Electric Boat, NEIT to establish submarine workforce training center in Rhode Island

    The General Dynamics subsidiary intends to hire 8,000 workers across its U.S. shipyards. EB also created an employee incentive to boost production for its $76.6 billion U.S Navy contracts.

    By • Aug. 26, 2026
  • A yellow-painted robot moves the windshield into position on a Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson in Michigan.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Stellantis
    Image attribution tooltip

    Intel report shows gap between robotics expectations and readiness

    Although 70% of manufacturing leaders expect to manage a robot fleet in the next five years, roughly four in 10 have a formal strategy in place for a mixed human-robot workforce.

    By • Aug. 25, 2026
  • A welder at work.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Illinois bill streamlines manufacturing career paths for high schoolers

    The legislation aims to ensure students have access to hands-on training for jobs in CNC machining, welding and other fields.

    By • Aug. 20, 2026