Tag Archives: economic

U.S. Economic Outlook for 2026: Cautious Optimism for Opportunities Ahead

Economic Market Analysis BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS® AND CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® THE U.S. ECONOMY enters 2026 with renewed momentum for further upside, following a year of on‑trend improvements across the manufacturing and supply chain sectors. Throughout much of 2025, both the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) and MHI Business Activity ...

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Cold War Two Risks Present Domestic Opportunities for Material Handling

Economic Market Analysis   BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS®, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® The U.S. economy is facing growing risks stemming from escalating trade policy uncertainty and associated economic softening, which is accompanied by still‑elevated interest rates. Trade, growth and interest rate risk factors have spilled over into numerous industries, including material handling and supply chain management. ...

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Economic and Material Handling Outlook in a World of Rising Trade Risks

Economic Market Analysis   BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS®, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® Material handling businesses entered 2025 with strong tailwinds. However, risks have risen significantly in recent months, and the entire industry is being swept into an economic storm driven by escalating tariff risks. While tariffs are usually inflationary, tariff risks are recessionary and deflationary, because ...

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Positioning North America for Global Economic Leadership: the Outlook for Competitiveness

SPONSORED CONTENT PRESENTED BY VR INTERNATIONAL, LLC By Oswaldo Villanueva, CEO & President, VR International, LLC Various forces are shaping the future of international trade, transforming the rules and patterns that have governed commerce worldwide. These changes, driven by social, political, economic, and technological factors, have a fundamental influence on global operations, redefining supply chains, trade agreements, and business strategies. ...

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Economic and Material Handling Outlook Remains Positive

Economic Market Analysis     BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS®, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® Some of the biggest risks to the 2025 economic and material handling outlooks evaporated in late 2024 with a swift and decisive outcome of the U.S. presidential election that removed the most significant risks to uncertainty and potential economic and societal disruption. With ...

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Economic Outlook for 2025: Tailwinds with Pitfalls

Economic Market Analysis BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS®, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® ISTOCK.COM/MICROSTOCKHUB The 2025 economic outlook is a mix of potential and pitfalls. On the upside, inflation is likely to cool further this year, while the labor market is poised to remain relatively solid, positive GDP growth continues and interest rates fall. However, geopolitical tensions and ...

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Upside Potential for Manufacturing and Growth for Second Half of 2024

Economic Market Analysis BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS®, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® Global manufacturing and growth were under significant pressure in 2023 and early 2024. But the prospects for the second half of 2024 are more favorable. Despite elevated interest rates, U.S. and Chinese manufacturing PMIs picked up in late Q1 2024, hinting at more upside ahead ...

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Economic Risks and Opportunities Ahead for Supply Chains

BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS®, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® The global economy has also been slowing, but the U.S. economy continues to post solid growth. Our U.S. economic outlook is modestly positive, although we expect a slowing in U.S. growth, U.S. job gains and U.S. inflation this year. Meanwhile, European, Chinese and emerging market growth have been under ...

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Material Handling and Economic Outlook for 2024

BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS®, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® The year 2023 was one of twists and turns. There were significant tech layoffs, a banking crisis, slowing inflation, Fed rate hikes, elevated geopolitical risks and AI obsession. While some of these events were fortunate breakthroughs, a few took the world by surprise in not-so-welcome ways. This naturally leads ...

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Easing Inflation and Slowing Growth Seen as 2023 Closes

BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® The economic outlook for the end of 2023 is mixed. Global growth data has weakened, while data in the United States has remained resilient. Global GDP growth and manufacturing have slowed. But the U.S. labor market has been relatively resilient even though U.S. manufacturing has slowed. The U.S. economy ...

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