Economist Intelligence Unit U.S. Manufacturing Challenge
Visualize the Future of U.S. Manufacturing
Despite appearances, manufacturing still constitutes an important sector of the U.S. economy and has been the target of much government stimulus spending. Last year, however, China usurped the United States’ 110-year reign as the world’s largest manufacturing country (by output). So is manufacturing declining into obsolescence, or ripe for potential growth and renewal?
To answer this question, the Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed 360 senior executives from manufacturing firms across the U.S. The responses provide an expert perspective on the current state of manufacturing, the future outlook of major firms, and the factors that will drive growth.
Visualizing.org and the Economist Intelligence Unit challenge you to visualize the dynamics of U.S. manufacturing. There is an abundance of government data about the manufacturing sector available. Building on an outcome or insight from the EIU survey, find a compelling story in the data and follow it through the past, present, and future of U.S. manufacturing.
Data
Made in the U.S.: Manufacturing Survey
The “Made in the U.S.” survey, sponsored by GE, was conducted in August 2011 by the Economist Intelligence unit. Gathering responses from 360 senior executives of manufacturing firms across a range of industries, the survey assesses attitudes towards the future of manufacturing in the U.S.
External Data Sources
There is a great deal of U.S. economic data out there. Here are a few places to get started:
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- BEA Interactive data and charts
- U.S. Census Bureau’s Business Dynamics Statistics
- BDS Charts
- U.S. Census Bureau’s Manufacturing Surveys
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- National Science Foundation: Science and Engineering Indicators
- NSF Science and Engineering Indicator Tables
Resources
The Economist On Manufacturing- Making it in America
- Lending a hand: Policymakers can help create jobs, up to a point
- Manufacturing, A Political Imperative
- US Manufacturing Jobs: Song Two
Jury
Representatives from EIU, GE and Visualizing.org.Prize
The winning visualization will be featured on The Economist‘s web site.The winner will receive a $2000 prize courtesy of GE.
An Honorable Mention recipient will receive a $500 prize courtesy of GE.
Results
The winning visualization: The Future of U.S. Manufacturing by A. DuekA. Duek and M. de Franceschi of VisualAssement.net.Read the recap.
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