WASHINGTON—Solid job growth is finally boosting paychecks for the rest of us. Incomes for the bottom 99 percent of American families rose 3.3 percent last year to $47,213, the biggest annual gain in the past 15 years, according to the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

WASHINGTON—A European tariff applied to U.S.-produced chicken in the 1960s played a significant role in shaping the U.S. auto market.

HUNTSVILLE, AL—Boeing has opened a new research center here that will focus on materials for future advanced aircraft and spacecraft.

CHATTANOOGA, TN—Automotive supplier Gestamp will invest $180 million and add more than 500 jobs to triple production capacity at its assembly plant here.

EVANSVILLE, IN—Systems integrator Evana Automation has shipped two lean assembly cells to an automotive electronics manufacturer. The cells include equipment for labeling, screwdriving and connector installation.

PITTSBURGH—Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pennsylvania have developed a vision-guided, dual-armed robot that can assemble a wooden birdhouse autonomously using a nail gun.

LUDWIGSFELDE, Germany—Automated guided vehicles are used to deliver parts to workers assembling Sprinter vans at the Mercedes-Benz factory here.

NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, MI—Automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen plans to spend more than $71 million to expand its technical center here and add 571 jobs. The project is intended to boost research and development on transmission, steering, axle and chassis components.

WASHINGTON—In 2012, manufacturers consumed 24 percent of all the energy used in the United States. No sector of the economy has more to gain from using energy resources more efficiently, but progress on energy efficiency faces a bevy of obstacles, according to a new report from the Department of Energy.

ORION, MI—GM will pump in $245 million into its assembly plant here to launch new vehicles, creating 300 employment opportunities.