U.S. manufacturing technology orders totalled US$583.4 million in May 2026, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT, falling 1.8% from April but increasing 47.8% compared to May 2025.
Year-to-date, orders reached US$2.77 billion through the first five months of 2026, a 31.9% increase over the same period last year.
According to AMT, the strong level of investment suggests manufacturers continue to expand production capacity despite uncertainty in the broader economy. The association said growing demand for automation is a major driver as manufacturers look to address ongoing labour shortages, with nearly 500,000 manufacturing jobs currently unfilled in the U.S.
While the value of machinery orders has continued to rise, growth in unit orders has been more modest. AMT said this reflects both normal pricing pressures and increased investment in higher-value automated equipment.
Contract machine shops, traditionally the largest buyers of manufacturing technology, have seen orders soften in recent months. In May, orders from the sector were nearly 10% below the average of the previous three months.
At the same time, aerospace manufacturers continued to invest heavily in new equipment as production expands, particularly to support the growing space sector. Industrial machinery manufacturers also recorded their strongest monthly investment in manufacturing technology since November 2017, a trend AMT said reflects continued spending on capacity to support demand for industrial equipment and data centre construction.
Although industry forecasts entering 2026 called for flat or slightly lower manufacturing technology orders, demand has significantly outpaced expectations through the first five months of the year. AMT noted that orders are also running ahead of a typical pre-IMTS cycle, potentially setting the stage for additional growth in the second half of 2026.
