Hourly compensation in U.S. manufacturing was 4.5% higher in the second quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, according to revised figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Fastener plants pay that rate for the time staff spend counting, ordering, picking and expediting, time that doesn’t show up on a supplier quote, GritDaily reports.

The hours are also growing. BLS found that manufacturing hours worked rose 2.9% at an annual rate in the second quarter as output increased 5.4%, the largest quarterly increase since 2021. Unit labor costs in the sector were 3.4% higher than a year earlier.

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