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Supply Chain by the Numbers

June 19, 2026

Supply Chain by the Numbers for June 19, 2026

Supply Chain AI Talent Crunch. State of Logistics Report. US Manufacturing Flat again in May. Truckload Rates Surging


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387%
That was the growth in job posting from 1Q23 to 1Q26 for supply chain roles requiring AI skills, significantly outpacing overall labor market growth and intensifying competition for qualified talent. That according to new research from the analysts at Gartner released in a blog post this week. Gartner says that high demand for AI skills in supply chain is increasing competition for a limited pool of qualified candidates, contributing to higher costs, and longer hiring timelines for roles that require both supply chain expertise and AI proficiency.

8.3%

That was the share of logistics cost versus total gross domestic product in 2025, down from 8.3% in 2024 and 8.4% in 2023. That according to the Annual State of Logistics report from CSCMP and partner consulting firm Kearney released this week. Total US logistics spend – from trucking to waterways to warehousing and more – in 2025 was $2.4 trillion. This year’s report, titled “Forged in Disruption,” argues that external geopolitical shocks and trade policy changes are having a bigger impact on the logistics market than traditional concerns such as demand or capacity. More on the report next week.



77.9
That was the level of US manufacturing output in May, as represented in the monthly index from the Federal Reserve Bank, which was released this week. That was basically flat from April (with a score of 97.8), as the index has been in range that has seen it hover around the 96 -98 level for more than six months, with no real growth, but not recessionary declines either. However, May output was up just 1.4% versus the same period in 2025. But at an index level of 97.9, it means US manufacturing output is now below that of the baseline year of 2017 (index = 100) now nine years later. It is also well below the all-time high of about 108, reached in late 2007.

6.9%

That was the year-over-year increase in the Cass Linehaul Index for May, as calculated by the monthly report from Cass Information Systems. The Index measures US per mile truckload rates before fuel surcharge and other accessorials. With strong increases in both fuel and accessorials on top of the strong 6.9% jump in rates and it’s getting very expensive to operate a truck. The data for all the numbers in the report from Cass and partner Tim Denoyer of ACT Research is based on data from the billions of dollars of freight bills that Cass pays for its shipper clients.

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