Spring and Wire Product Manufacturers NAICS 3326

Mar 18, 2025 - Shop Class Making a Comeback

• Shop class is being revamped to teach today’s students the technical skills required to fill the manufacturing labor gap, which could swell to 3.8 million workers by 2033, according to a report from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute. Leading-edge school districts are investing tens of millions of dollars to update and expand high-school shop classes for the 21st century, The Wall Street Journal reports. Vocational classes are preparing students for careers in the trades by working with wood, metals and machinery as hands-on skills stage a comeback amid high college costs and AI’s threat to white collar job. Cutting-edge facilities – outfitted with computer-controlled machine tools and robotic arms – are attracting students at a suburban high school in Wisconsin, where about a quarter of its 2,300 students have signed up for at least one of the courses in construction, manufacturing, or woodworking, WSJ reports.
• US manufacturers have much to lose if a trade war erupts between the US and its largest trading partner Mexico, The New York Times reports. During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump vowed to slap 25% tariffs (or higher) on all goods from Mexico unless it stopped the flow of migrants and drugs to the US. While Mexico depends heavily on trade with the US – exporting some 80% of its goods to America – it accounted for nearly 16% of overall US exports in 2022, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. Tariffs on Mexico and China, another Trump target, would have widespread ramifications for manufacturers, making it more expensive to produce goods that use foreign materials and components. And if other countries respond with retaliatory tariffs, it could also make it more expensive for manufacturers to export goods to foreign markets, according to Manufacturing Dive.

• Shop floor injuries needn’t be serious to be costly. In its 2024 Injury Impact Report, the insurer The Travelers Companies found the most common workplace accidents accounted for the majority of claim costs. The most frequent causes of injury identified in the report included overexertion (29% of claims analyzed); slips, trips, and falls (23%); being struck by an object (12%). Those injuries were also the top drivers of severe claims, defined as $250,000 or more. Slips, trips, and falls, which include falls from height, topped that list. Injuries related to overexertion can result in extended absences with injuries like dislocations having the highest number of average lost-time days at 142 days, followed by fractures (92 days), and inflammation (85 days). Improving shop floor ergonomics, eliminating trip/fall hazards, and material handling mishaps are three areas metal fabricators can focus on to reduce injuries and time lost.
• Producer prices for spring and wire product manufacturers rose 6% in December compared to a year ago after falling 3% in the previous December-versus-December annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Employment by spring and wire product manufacturers fell 4.4% year over year in December, while in January average wages at fabricated metal manufacturers rose 4.4% YoY to a new high of $26.80 per hour, BLS data show. After-tax profits for fabricated metal products companies sank 15.9% YoY in the third quarter and fell 4.7% versus Q2, amid falling sales, according to the latest data from the Census Bureau.