Author: Stefanie Galeano-Zalutko

A roundup of recent manufacturer safety recalls…

Unemployment reached a record high in April, but a majority of those unemployed expect to be only temporarily out of work…

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted at a rate not seen since April 2009…

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing measures have led to a collapse in consumer spending…

North America is bracing itself for recessionary conditions directly related to the stay-at-home orders associated with COVID-19. Nearly 22 million workers have filed for unemployment compensation in the past month, with six of the most highly impacted sectors being Restaurants and Bars, Travel and Transportation, Entertainment (i.e., casinos and amusement parks), Personal Services (i.e., dentists,… Continue reading KPI — April: State of Business

As predicted, government stay-at-home orders due to the novel coronavirus have influenced a significant change in many consumer habits—from a substantial increase in Netflix subscriptions and wide-range acceptance of platforms like Zoom to a boost in curbside pickup and delivery of goods. Life in physical isolation has become truly digital, with online shopping at the… Continue reading KPI — April: Automotive Aftermarket

New Vehicle Market Data Vehicle sales continued to nose dive in relation to COVID-19, with March total new-vehicle sales down 37.9% year-over- year. The March SAAR plummeted to 11.4 million—down from 16.7 million the month prior and a decrease from 17.3 million last year. Additionally, new vehicle inventories came in over 3.7 million units. •… Continue reading KPI — April: New and Used Vehicle Sales

2019-2020 Ram 1500, 1500 Classic and Jeep Compass Vehicles Affected: Approximately 425,600 model year 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 1500 Classic pickup trucks and Jeep Compass SUVs produced before March 3rd The Problem: The windshield wiper arm or arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to not operate properly. This reduces the driver’s visibility in certain… Continue reading KPI — April: Recent Vehicle Recalls

Total nonfarm payroll employment fell by 701,000 in March while the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate increase of 0.9 percentage point stands as the largest month-over-month increase since January 1975, and is reflective of the pandemic and efforts to contain it properly. Subsequently, the number… Continue reading KPI — April: State of the Economy

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in March, and the overall economy grew for the 131st consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®. The March PMI® registered 49.1%, down one percentage point from the February reading of 50.1%. The Report On Business® measures its data using… Continue reading KPI — April: Manufacturing ISM

A negative short-term outlook has caused consumer confidence to decline sharply…

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector increased during February, and the overall economy grew for the 130th consecutive month, said the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®. The February PMI® registered 50.1%, down 0.8 percentage point from the January reading of 50.9%. The Report On Business® measures its data using… Continue reading KPI: Manufacturing ISM

The country gained 273,000 new jobs last month despite growing concerns of the coronavirus pandemic—uncertainty that triggered stock market volatility and caused wary central bankers to implement emergency interest rate cuts. A few short weeks later, the administration’s decades-low unemployment rate of 3.5% is overshadowed by a fierce novel virus that is, quite literally, applying… Continue reading KPI: State of the Economy

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® reported a slight uptick during February, following an increase in January. “Despite the decline in the Present Situation Index, consumers continue to view current conditions quite favorably. Consumers’ short-term expectations improved, and when coupled with solid employment growth, should be enough to continue to support spending and economic growth… Continue reading KPI: The Voice of Consumers