Coming Soon to a Factory Near You: Jobs?

January factory activity in the Midwest rose to a 22.5-year high, signaling improved job prospects in the manufacturing sector in 2011. This is exactly the type of economic improvement America needs most, according to many experts.

"The factory sector news is an important positive omen for the broader economy, because increased production will yield significant income generation, which in turn will fuel stronger household consumption," Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank Securities in New York, told Reuters.