New orders for machine tools declined in November for the second consecutive month, following the increases in August and September, coinciding with IMTS 2016. U.S. manufacturers ordered $329.61m worth of new manufacturing technology during November, according to the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report issued each month by the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT).

The "skills gap" is a problem that manufacturers have been working to address for much of the past decade: new accreditation programs, expanding training curricula and updated certification standards have had some positive effects in filling the gap. But those approaches are based on addressing manufacturers' needs, emphasizing employment opportunities and other practical advantages. Addressing the issue from the employees' point of view may require more "passion."

Global raw-steel production rose 2.6 percent from September to October, totaling 136,522,876 metric tons, with similar percentage increases in most of the major steelmaking nations and regions tracked by the World Steel Association. The year-over-year comparison is even higher for October, with a 3.3 percent higher in October 2016 than in October 2015.