Manufacturing Economy Monitor

Manufacturing Momentum: Where Growth Is Speeding Up or Slowing Down

Petroleum and Coal Products is accelerating fastest among U.S. manufacturing industries, with output growth improving to +60.1% year over year from -23.9% a year earlier. Electrical Equipment and Appliances is decelerating most, slowing to +0.3% from +6.4%. Other Transportation Equipment has the longest growth streak at 8 straight periods. Acceleration compares the latest year-over-year growth with the year before it, from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data.

Accelerating industries

  • Petroleum and Coal Products: +84 pts (now +60.1% vs -23.9% a year earlier).
  • Primary Metals: +32 pts (now +25.9% vs -6.1% a year earlier).
  • Machinery: +13 pts (now +10.9% vs -2.1% a year earlier).
  • Fabricated Metal Products: +9.1 pts (now +8.6% vs -0.5% a year earlier).
  • Plastics and Rubber Products: +5.2 pts (now +1.1% vs -4.1% a year earlier).
  • Miscellaneous Manufacturing: +4.4 pts (now +7.1% vs +2.7% a year earlier).

Decelerating industries

  • Electrical Equipment and Appliances: -6.1 pts (now +0.3% vs +6.4% a year earlier).
  • Wood Products: -2.3 pts (now -0.4% vs +1.9% a year earlier).
  • Paper Products: -2 pts (now -1.7% vs +0.3% a year earlier).
  • Chemical Products: -1.8 pts (now +6% vs +7.8% a year earlier).
  • Printing and Related Support: -1.4 pts (now -0.2% vs +1.2% a year earlier).

Longest growth streaks

  • Other Transportation Equipment: 8 straight periods of growth.
  • Computer and Electronic Products: 8 straight periods of growth.
  • Miscellaneous Manufacturing: 8 straight periods of growth.
  • Chemical Products: 8 straight periods of growth.
  • Furniture and Related Products: 8 straight periods of growth.
  • Electrical Equipment and Appliances: 8 straight periods of growth.

Accelerating states

  • Alaska: +8.9 pts (now +2.7% vs -6.2% a year earlier).
  • Connecticut: +3.8 pts (now +4.6% vs +0.8% a year earlier).
  • Maine: +2.7 pts (now +3.4% vs +0.7% a year earlier).
  • Washington: +2.6 pts (now +4.8% vs +2.2% a year earlier).
  • Kansas: +2.3 pts (now +1.9% vs -0.4% a year earlier).
  • Virginia: +2.1 pts (now +3.7% vs +1.6% a year earlier).

Frequently asked questions

  • Which manufacturing industries are accelerating? Growth is speeding up fastest in petroleum and coal products (to +60.1% from -23.9%), primary metals (to +25.9% from -6.1%), machinery (to +10.9% from -2.1%). Acceleration is the change between the latest year-over-year growth rate and the one a year earlier.
  • Which manufacturing industries are slowing down? Growth is decelerating most in electrical equipment and appliances (to +0.3% from +6.4%), wood products (to -0.4% from +1.9%), paper products (to -1.7% from +0.3%). A negative reading means the industry is still moving but at a slower pace than a year ago.
  • Which manufacturing industry has the longest growth streak? Other Transportation Equipment has the longest unbroken run, with output above its year-earlier level for 8 straight quarters. Streaks count consecutive periods of positive year-over-year growth.

About this data

  • Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (public domain). National quarterly values are seasonally adjusted annual rates. Corporate-profit industry detail reflects inventory valuation adjustment without capital consumption adjustment, per NIPA table 6.16D conventions, so shares of all corporate profits divide by BEA's total on that same basis rather than its headline total, which adds the capital consumption adjustment.

Last reviewed 2026-10-22.