It says a lot about the US economy that employers can't find workers 'not carrying some form of personal baggage'

The Kansas City Fed released its May manufacturing survey on Thursday.

There was a sharp decline in manufacturing activity, which according to the KC Fed is "mostly attributable to declines in durable goods manufacturing, including a continued decline in aircraft production and further weakness in metals and machinery."

Factories, however, still plan on keeping employment steady or even adding workers over the next year.

There was a particularly sharp comment in the release's "selected comments" section suggesting it's getting harder to find qualified candidates (via @thestalwart):

"It is becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified job candidates who are not carrying some form of personal baggage / problem."

This is a sign that the labor market may be getting tighter. That hopefully means wage growth in the economy at some point.

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