Lawmakers introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, a Teamsters-backed bill that would reduce the use of production quotas and reintroduce previously invalidated ergonomics standards. National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors Chief Government Relations Officer Brian Wild said the bill "represents a costly and unnecessary threat to the US economy, especially for wholesaler-distributors and small businesses," adding the quota requirements would "negatively affect productivity across the supply chain, leading to delays and price hikes for consumers." US Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Employment Policy Marc Freedman also called the WWPA "a bad bill."

US construction spending declined 0.2% in March compared to the previous month, according to Commerce Department data. The March decline comes after spending was flat in February, but year-over-year spending is up 9.6%. Private construction spending fell 0.5% and residential building decreased 0.7%. Headwinds from higher borrowing costs continue, with the average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages reaching a five-month high of 7.17%.

Industrial distributor Valin, a Graybar subsidiary, purchased Dynamic Solutions, a specialist in precision motion control, machine vision and collaborative robotics. The acquisition expands Valin's automation portfolio and boosts Dynamic's services. Irvine, Calif.-based Dynamic Solutions also offers custom positioning stage design, application support and consultation services.

A possible walkout by Canadian railway workers later this month could disrupt supply chains across North America and delay goods from cars and grains to petroleum after workers overwhelmingly backed a call for strike action. "The simultaneous work stoppage at both CN and CPKC would disrupt supply chains on a scale Canada has likely never experienced," said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.

Customers become frustrated and businesses lose time when items listed on their inventory as available can't be found, known as phantom inventory, but AI can help mitigate the issue, writes Tav Tepfer, chief revenue officer of Invent Analytics. AI-powered tools can help resolve five issues contributing to phantom inventory, including inaccurate product placement, sporadic audit practices, visibility problems, excess inventory and items that have been left in their case packaging.

Retailers held the top spot among renters of warehouse space bigger than 200,000 square feet in 2023 with 36% of transactions, overtaking third-party logistics providers, according to data from CBRE, which reported an overall decline in industrial construction activity that year. Leasing volume at big-box warehouses is likely to rise by 5% in 2024 as demand rebounds, said CBRE.

With 75% of B2B buyers looking to forego rep interactions, 3 Aspens Media president Lindsay Young notes the importance of engaging, customer-facing content and websites. Companies can broaden their online footprint and audience by expanding their presence, and Young says to seek advice on what content could be most important by engaging your sales team -- asking their most common questions and concerns from a customer's standpoint.

The global economy is expected to register 3.1% growth this year and 3.2% next year, in large part due to US activity, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's update to its February forecasts of 2.9% growth this year and 3% in 2025. The OECD also forecast that global unemployment rates will remain close to record lows despite elevated interest rates. "I wouldn't declare victory, but it's certainly happening in a less painful way than people feared, including us," said Clare Lombardelli, the OECD's chief economist.

Generations are growing farther apart, with large percentages of Generation Z and those over 50 actively avoiding each other. Leaders can help bridge the divide with solutions such as reverse mentoring or virtual coffee breaks that allow for a two-way knowledge exchange, experts say.

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