U.S. manufacturing employment has risen in nine of the last 10 months, according to the recent employment report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Here are Ohio’s most recent manufacturing employment data.) The National Association of Manufacturers reports that manufacturers’ optimism in its first outlook survey of 2021 has increased to nearly 88% — the highest reading in two years. Chad Moutray, NAM’s chief economist, reports that the average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers in manufacturing rose to $23.19 in February, up from $22.50 (3.1%) from a year earlier. 3/9/2021