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NPA Insights, September 2025 |
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Hi all!
U.S. manufacturing employment fell again in August, with the sector losing 12,000 jobs for the fourth consecutive month, totaling 42,000 positions lost since April.
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Rising material costs, supply chain challenges, and ongoing trade uncertainties have slowed investment and reshoring efforts, while some companies have paused or delayed plans to build new domestic facilities.
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How these factors will ultimately affect the sector remains unclear, and it may take months before the full impact on manufacturing growth becomes apparent. |
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AND NOW SOME OPERATIONS NEWS |
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The State of Manufacturing |
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| The Manufacturing PMI Index came in at 48.7%, up slightly from 48.0% in July after manufacturing activity contracted again in August; the sixth consecutive monthly drop after a short-lived rebound. |
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In August, the New Orders Index returned to growth at 51.4%, up 4.3 points from July’s 47.1% after six straight months of contraction.
By contrast, August’s Production Index registered 47.8%, a 3.6-point drop from July’s 51.4%.
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U.S. semiconductor exports face tighter restrictions. The government revoked TSMC’s license-free status for shipping chipmaking tools to China, along with similar moves affecting Samsung, SK Hynix, and Intel, underscoring ongoing trade and technology tensions.
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TSMC’s most advanced chips, including AI accelerators, are manufactured in Taiwan and the U.S., while its Chinese facilities produce older-generation chips. The company says it remains committed to uninterrupted operations at its Nanjing facility, even as markets react to the news.
The move comes amid ongoing U.S.-China trade talks and growing competition in AI chip production, with China planning to triple output next year. The policy underscores the U.S. push to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing, including TSMC’s $100 billion investment in Arizona.
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Venture capital in Massachusetts appeared sluggish through most of August, but the final week of the month delivered a sharp turnaround. Boston-area startups raised $953 million, the largest monthly total of 2024, driven by Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ $863 million round.
Additional Series A funding went to Eyebot ($20M), Blue Water Autonomy ($50M), and Reframe Systems ($20M), adding to the late-month surge.
Ketryx, a Boston-based startup trying to make medical device compliance easy, seamless, and boring announced $39 million in venture capital.
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Join the 8th Annual Robot Block Party on Saturday, September 27, 2025. Free and open to the public, the event will feature robot demonstrations, hands-on interactions, games, and more. Register here! |
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Despite economic uncertainty, U.S. startup founders are feeling unusually confident. A survey of 1,500 early-stage companies found 87% reported improved financial outlooks compared to 2024, with the strongest optimism coming from those embracing AI.
Companies using AI heavily reported a 93% positive outlook versus 71% for non-adopters, highlighting the role of technology in driving resilience and growth even amid macroeconomic challenges.
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Our August survey asked about your primary motivations for considering production in trusted, politically aligned countries, also known as "friend-shoring".
Regulatory Stability received 26% of the votes, just beating out Supply Chain Resilience.
This year alone, U.S. manufacturing has lost a total of 42,000 jobs due to ongoing economic and trade uncertainties. So this month, we want to know:
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| How is your organization addressing workforce challenges while keeping operations smooth? |
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As China’s population ages, humanoid robots are being prepped to fill critical care gaps.
EldersAndAndroids
(Source: Newsweek)
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Sweat sensors inspired by rose petals could make hydration tracking in wearables more comfortable and accurate than ever.
PetalPoweredTech
(Source: T3)
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At IFA, an AI running coach paired with a robotic exoskeleton showed how tech could transform training.
FastTrackToTheFuture
(Source: Currently | Yahoo)
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