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by Stephanie Neil, MA Editorial Staff Posted on Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:58:00 PM Sign Up to receive Daily News Alerts in your E-mail Inbox    | Abstract: | Fallout from the housing crisis, high oil prices, and other factors are expected to make the coming year a challenge for manufacturers. Still, many plan to boost investments in technologies that can help them compete. |
| Keywords: | economic factors in 2008, fallout from the housing crisis |
Brace yourself. 2008 is not going to be a banner year in manufacturing, according to an industrial outlook report from the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI that predicts a mild manufacturing recession. According to the report, there are five economic "shock" factors contributing to the coming downturn: a housing slump; the negative impact of falling housing prices on consumer spending; the credit crunch; high gasoline and oil prices; and an economy that is generating less job growth. A recent Managing Automation poll of 360 readers came to some of the same conclusions, as 34% of respondents said they are feeling an impact from the mortgage/credit crisis. Nevertheless, technology budgets remain intact, MA readers said, and they still plan to spend money in 2008. [Click to continue] |
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