MILWAUKEE, WI – A majority of manufacturers are optimistic about an economic uptick in 2011 at their organizations, according to a recent ASQ survey.

More than 1,200 manufacturing professionals from the US and Canada responded to the online survey.

Of the respondents, 68% predict revenue growth for 2011. That’s up from a year ago, when 64.7 % of respondents predicted revenue would grow in 2010.  This year, when asked if their organization did experience revenue growth in 2010, 67% indicated “yes.”

Only 18% expect a pay freeze at their organizations in 2011, compared to 44.8% in 2010.

Eighteen percent predict mandatory budget cuts in 2011, whereas 35.2% did in 2010.

Forty-eight percent of manufacturers expect a salary/merit increase, and 42% expect to maintain current staff levels. Another 42% expect to hire additional staff.

Forty-seven percent of organizations expect to continue to create processes to reduce costs, down from 61.3% in 2010.

The survey asked whether staff reductions or other cutbacks implemented in 2010 negatively impacted the quality of the products/services delivered, with 33% believing the quality of their products/services was negatively impacted. Thirty-two percent believe the quality did not suffer.

SAN JOSE – Third quarter worldwide silicon wafer area shipments rose sequentially to their highest levels ever, SEMI said.

EL SEGUNDO, CA – Third-quarter global PC shipments were up 7% sequentially and 10.3% year-over-year to 88.1 million units, according to iSuppli Corp.

Shipments for all three major types of PCs – desktops, notebooks and entry-level servers – rose on both a sequential and a year-over-year basis in the third quarter.

Desktop PCs generated the strongest sequential growth, with shipments up 11% sequentially, reflecting relatively strong demand in the corporate sector.

In contrast, mobile PC shipments rose at more tepid 4% sequential growth rate, and up a more impressive 15% from a year earlier. Those rates, however, were down from 41% and 42% increases in the second and first quarters, respectively, due to consumer confidence issues, says the firm.

iSuppli predicts global PC shipments will continue to rise in the fourth quarter, with a mid-single-digit increase over fourth-quarter 2009 shipments.

TAIPEI – Taiwan's exports swelled 21.9% year-over-year to $24.2 billion in October on strong demand for electronics.