Normalcy returning to manufacturing plants

Another small sign of economic recovery is emerging in the form of hours worked by manufacturing employees.

Indiana is doing pretty well, a new Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago study shows. Indiana workers are averaging more than 42 hours a week. That’s a huge improvement from 39 hours last summer, and it’s closing in on the peak reached over the past decade of 43. With consistent improvement in the economy, maybe factories will begin hiring.

Only Michigan is faring better than Indiana within the Fed district, which also touches Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.

A copy of the Fed study is here.

Remember that these are the workers who survived the layoffs and shutdowns. Tens of thousands lost their jobs.