The Daily Interview: Light at the End of the Assembly Line

Economists cannot agree on when a rebound will happen. But they do agree that consumers are not at the heart of the problem. In fact, the biggest drag on the economy continues to be a decline in industrial production due to weak capital spending. Daily Interview turned to an expert at the eye of the storm to find out when manufacturers think things could improve.

David Huether Director of economic analysis, National Association of Manufacturers

Recent Daily Interviews

Fear Factor's Matt Kunitz

USBancorp Piper Jaffray's Sam May

Salomon Smith Barney's Gabriel De Kock

Wasatch Small Cap Value's Jim Larkins

Strong American Utilities' Mark D.Luftig

ING Pilgrim Investments' Mary Lisanti

David Huether, director of economic analysis at the National Association of Manufacturers, says manufacturers expect their inventories to be picked through by August and for assembly lines to begin humming again by the fourth quarter. A decline in energy prices, interest rates and taxes should help as well, Huether says. Furthermore, he doesn't believe things are as bad as Wall Street would have us believe. Industrial production is down 5% since September, but in other downturns it's declined by as much as 13%. Here's why Huether holds out hope for a recovery by year-end. ...