An analysis of 27 major industries by the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity & Innovation (MAPI) predicts that industrial activity in the U.S. is entering a period of sluggish growth that will last until the second half of 2014. MAPI chief economist Daniel Meckstroth expects that industrial production will grow by 4.5 percent in 2012 and only 2.3 percent in 2013, a full percentage point lower than his previous estimate of 3.3 percent. "The big difference right now is that the growth we've seen for the last two years, that's not going to occur much anymore," says Meckstroth.
What's frustrating is that industry is primed for a big investment boom. On the whole, manufacturers have high profits, relatively high utilization rates, and bunches of cash. They face ultra-low borrowing costs. Yet uncertainty abounds.
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