Columnist Brian K. Langenberg surveys the industrial economic landscape to let you know what is up, what is down, and what is coming next.

Our April 2012 launch of this column highlighted several key themes; we will re-state each and highlight developments, relying on our monitoring of 75 key global industrial companies and ongoing fieldwork.

Welcome to the first installment of Market Update - a by-the-numbers, in-the-now snapshot of industrial markets worldwide, along with some prognostication to assist in planning your next moves - when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, etc. Look for Market Update in future issues.

Few would now argue that what some may have perceived just a few years ago as “Chicken Little” stories regarding the depletion of this country’s skilled manufacturing workforce are now in fact firmly based in stark reality.