Manufacturing sees 329K separations in October, 6K job cuts in September

Core Insights - The manufacturing industry experienced 329,000 job separations in October, marking a 0.6% increase from September's 327,000 separations [1] - Job openings rose by 6.5% month-over-month to 410,000, but decreased by about 10% year-over-year from 455,000 [2] - Manufacturing unemployment increased by 18.7% year-over-year to 571,000 individuals, with job losses of 6,000 in September [3] Sector-Specific Trends - The beverage, tobacco, and leather manufacturing sectors gained approximately 3,300 jobs, while nonmetallic mineral products and machinery added 1,500 and 1,300 jobs, respectively [4] - The plastics and rubber products sector faced significant job cuts, losing around 3,500 jobs [4] - The semiconductor and electronic components sector lost about 2,500 workers, and transportation equipment cut 2,400 employees, with half of those from the motor vehicle segment [5] Future Outlook - Job cuts in the transportation equipment sector are anticipated to continue into 2026 due to declining electric vehicle sales, rising costs, and tariffs on materials like aluminum and steel [6] - General Motors is expected to lay off thousands of workers and pause production at its Ultium Cells battery sites starting in January [6] - Tariffs are reportedly discouraging manufacturers from relocating production back to the U.S., particularly in the transportation equipment sector [7]