How's Business: 4th Quarter 2017, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines manufacturing and macroeconomic indicators across Q3-Q4 2017 using PMMI surveys alongside ISM/PMI, BLS and federal data to benchmark activity. Focus areas include business conditions and order flows, workforce dynamics and recruiting challenges, pricing and inflation signals, and investment/productivity trends tied to capital goods and shipments. The analysis indicates modest softening in new orders and shipments while employment and capacity measures generally show resilience; charts highlight regional and sectoral contrasts as well as trade and sentiment context. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
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Published by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, in October 2017. Based on an 80‑respondent PMMI executive survey and secondary analysis of federal and industry economic indicators (BLS, ISM, Conference Board, Federal Reserve and others) collected in Q3–Q4 2017.
