Area Development
The U.S. manufacturing sector has been a bright spot in the country's economy in recent months. Over the first half of this year, manufacturing has shown a rebound from the recession. While manufacturers have created 136,000 jobs since December 2009, the tenuous expansion needs policies to ensure continued success, Congress's Joint Economic Committee reports.

Manufacturing's recovery is critical for the country's global competitiveness. It's a source of well-paying jobs that can spur growth in other parts of the economy. Increasing exports will help balance the current trade deficit, which some economists say contributed to the recession.