US manufacturing stalls, even as other industries inch ahead
In November 2025, US manufacturing output didn't budge—holding steady after a dip in October—while the rest of industrial production managed a small 0.2% rise.
Over the past year, manufacturing grew by 1.9% and overall industry by 2.5%, but progress feels pretty slow.
What's happening across sectors?
Car production dropped again (down 1%), mostly because electric vehicle tax credits expired, making things tougher for automakers.
If you take cars out of the mix, factories saw a tiny boost of just 0.1%.
Mining bounced back with a solid 1.7% gain after slipping last month, but utilities fell by 0.4%.
Why does this matter?
Manufacturing is still struggling to get its groove back—demand is weak and costs are high.
The ISM Manufacturing PMI fell to its lowest in four months (48.2), marking nine straight months of contraction; basically, more than half of the sector is shrinking right now.
Since manufacturing makes up about one-10th of the economy, these numbers are worth keeping an eye on if you care about jobs or where things are headed next year.