Manufacturing boomed in July. Thank all that AI money

Aug 4, 2026Sector demand is up as tech companies spend on AI infrastructure build-outs. Plus: Fast food burgers, employment data, and China’s oil import mystery.

Mark Felix/AFP via Getty ImagesSegments From This EpisodeAndrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty ImagesMany manufacturers are also finding themselves with the need to restock, which also floats demand.

Heather Diehl/Getty Images“We're tracking 37 deals since January 2025 involving equity or quasi-equity stakes,” said Jonathan Hillman, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “We're doing the best we can in terms of collecting what's out there, but it's a little bit like investigative work.”

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty ImagesSeparations (that’s layoffs and quits) were essentially flat in June. Hiring ticked up.

Phillip Rollins, owner of OffBeat in Jackson, Mississippi, has hired an accountant who can handle some of the day-to-day in his shop.Kevin Carter/Getty ImagesMcDonald's reported second-quarter U.S. sales growth of just 0.8%, about a third of what it posted a year ago. The fast-food giant also replaced the head of its U.S. operations.