ISM: Manufacturing expands in November at a slightly slower pace

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in November, and the overall economy grew for the 102nd consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business. The report was issued on December 1st by Timothy R. Fiore, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. The report noted:

• Manufacturing expanded in November as the PMI registered 58.2 percent, a decrease of 0.5 percentage point from the October reading of 58.7 percent. "This indicates growth in manufacturing for the 15th consecutive month led by expansion in New Orders and Production, offset by Supplier Delivery improvement and declines in raw material Inventory," stated Fiore. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting.
• The New Orders index registered 64 percent in November, which is an increase of 0.6 percentage point when compared to the 63.4 percent reported for October, indicating growth in new orders for the 15th consecutive month. "New Order expansion continues at a strong pace with the index at six straight months of levels above 60 percent," stated Fiore.
• The Production index registered 63.9 percent in November, which is an increase of 2.9 percentage points when compared to the 61 percent reported for October, indicating growth in production for the 15th consecutive month. This is the highest reading since March 2011, when the index registered 64.2 percent. "Production expansion continues at levels that kept pace with new orders, consumed raw material inventory and positively impacted customer inventory," stated Fiore.
• The Employment index registered 59.7 percent in November, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point when compared to the October reading of 59.8 percent. This indicates growth in employment in November for the 14th consecutive month. "Employment expansion remains strong in spite of signs of labor market tightening," stated Fiore.

The Manufacturing ISM Report On Business is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives nationwide.

Source and more information: Institute for Supply Management.