After a setback in April, activity in the manufacturing sector is again expanding:
| MANUFACTURING AT A GLANCE May 2017 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index | Series Index May |
Series Index Apr |
Percentage Point Change |
Direction | Rate of Change |
Trend* (Months) |
| PMI® | 54.9 | 54.8 | +0.1 | Growing | Faster | 9 |
| New Orders | 59.5 | 57.5 | +2.0 | Growing | Faster | 9 |
| Production | 57.1 | 58.6 | -1.5 | Growing | Slower | 9 |
| Employment | 53.5 | 52.0 | +1.5 | Growing | Faster | 8 |
| Supplier Deliveries | 53.1 | 55.1 | -2.0 | Slowing | Slower | 13 |
| Inventories | 51.5 | 51.0 | +0.5 | Growing | Faster | 2 |
| Customers’ Inventories | 49.5 | 45.5 | +4.0 | Too Low | Slower | 8 |
| Prices | 60.5 | 68.5 | -8.0 | Increasing | Slower | 15 |
| Backlog of Orders | 55.0 | 57.0 | -2.0 | Growing | Slower | 4 |
| New Export Orders | 57.5 | 59.5 | -2.0 | Growing | Slower | 15 |
| Imports | 53.5 | 55.5 | -2.0 | Growing | Slower | 4 |
| OVERALL ECONOMY | Growing | Faster | 96 | |||
| Manufacturing Sector | Growing | Faster | 9 | |||
Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® data is seasonally adjusted for the New Orders, Production, Employment and Supplier Deliveries Indexes.
*Number of months moving in current direction.
Notable comments from respondents:
- “Business conditions are steady, and with competition increasing, it’s making negotiations even more intense to reduce costs.” (Machinery)
- “Business is booming, and getting direct employees is increasingly difficult.” (Fabricated Metal Products)
- “Difficult to find qualified labor for factory positions.” (Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products)
Read the full report at ISM May Report