WASHINGTON - America’s manufacturers saw demand for their products fall in April by the largest amount in seven months, a fresh blow to an industry that is a big drag on the plodding economy.

NEW YORK - The nation's industrial sector issued an upbeat but also worrisome assessment of itself Monday: While manufacturing expanded strongly in September, shaking off the impact of Hurricane Katrina, prices for raw materials surged, raising the likelihood of higher inflation and interest rates.

Arizona's unemployment rate remained flat last month, while the Valley's dropped, as manufacturing reported its first job gains since December 2000.

Manufacturing in Arizona added 700 jobs last month, but in the 12 months beginning in December 2001 the state shed 11,000 jobs in that sector.

NEW YORK -- U.S. manufacturing activity grew for a fourth straight month in February, but the pace of expansion slowed notably, a private industry group reported Monday.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Intel Corp. said Wednesday it is consolidating its manufacturing operations as a part of a restructuring bid that will affect thousands of jobs from the U.S to the Philippines.

NEW YORK - For the nation's lumber companies, automakers, home builders and other manufacturers, the final half of 2008 may be as sluggish as the first.

Gov. Janet Napolitano believes Arizona can become the Persian Gulf of solar energy.

A fire broke out in a Tempe bicycle manufacturing shop on Wednesday.

When Basil and Sharon Ziccardi bought their manufactured home in a senior community two years ago, they thought they were settled for life. Instead of fond memories, though, they've been amassing photo after photo of water and debris collecting in the crawl space under their house.

CLEVELAND - Michael Starr was laid off in midcareer from his factory job and found himself back in the classroom to upgrade his skills — for a new high-tech manufacturing environment struggling to find workers.

Ranchland Holdings I, LLC, of Mesa purchased a 16,615 square-foot industrial manufacturing building in Queen Creek for $1.1 million, according to a news release.

The employees of drug manufacturers who try to convince doctors to prescribe their products are salesmen, even though they don't actually sell anything, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.

In a case police described as a "far-reaching fraud," authorities have stopped a Gilbert couple from continuing to manufacture gift credit cards that cost large retail stores and their bankers more than $15,000.

State senators voted Friday to approve generous new tax credits for firms that agree to manufacture their solar equipment in Arizona.

Several residents spoke out against the go-ahead to allow manufactured homes in RV parks in Mesa. On Thursday, Mesa's Planning and Zoning Board voted to allow special use permits.

NEW YORK - The U.S. manufacturing economy unexpectedly contracted in December, ending a streak of 10 consecutive months of growth and sinking to its lowest point in almost five years, a private research group said Wednesday. The decline suggests that the overall economy may be weakening faster than some economists predicted.

Intel Corp.’s impressive manufacturing capabilities grew even mightier Thursday as the company formally opened its latest $3 billion chip making factory in south Chandler.