Making it - again - in Philly

The latest news from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia is hardly a sign that this region is on its way back to becoming "The Workshop of the World" once again, but it is encouraging: the Philly Fed's index of current manufacturing activity in the three-state region covered by the bank rose much more than expected in February, climbing from last month's 19.3 to 35.9, its highest level since January 2004.

It seems that demand for things made in the larger Philadelphia region has picked up dramatically, and manufacturers are reporting more unfilled orders and longer delivery times for finished products.

The upswing in manufacturing activity is bringing with it an upswing in employment as well. According to the Philly Fed, 29 percent of firms surveyed in its territory report increasing employment this month, while only 5 percent report falling employment - the sixth straight month in which manufacturing employment increased in the region.

All this is good news for the region and for the job-seeker. I've long believed that we as a nation cannot have a truly healthy economy without a healthy manufacturing sector; anything else would be trying to grow rich by taking in one another's laundry. A surge in manufacturing, then, is a harbinger of stronger economic growth ahead - and stronger hiring can't be far behind that.

By Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith has been blogging for PhillyJobs.com since 2010. In addition to launching award-winning newspapers and newsletters at the University of Pennsylvania and Widener University, Sandy is a veteran writer whose articles and essays have appeared in several local and regional media outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia CityPaper, and PGN, and on several Web sites. He is also an active participant on several discussion boards, including PhiladelphiaSpeaks.com, where he posts as “MarketStEl.” He has been supporting himself through a combination of freelance and part-time work and unemployment compensation since early 2009 and is himself an active job-seeker. Read more of his posts on PhillyJobsBlog.com and follow him to Beyond.com for more job opportunities.