Manufacturing Grows for the 16th Consecutive Month, According to the December 2017 Manufacturing ISM Report On Business

Author photo: Steve Clouther
BySteve Clouther
Category:
Industry Trends

The Manufacturing ISM Report On Business is published monthly by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the largest supply management organization in the world, as well as one of the most respected. Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in December, and the overall economy grew for the 103rd consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.

Manufacturing Sector Expanded

Manufacturing expanded in December as the PMI registered 59.7 percent, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the November reading of 58.2 percent. This indicates growth in manufacturing for the 16th consecutive month.

ISM’s New Orders Index registered 69.4 percent in December, which is an increase of 5.4 percentage points when compared to the 64 percent reported for November, indicating growth in new orders for the 16th consecutive month. This is the highest reading since January 2004, when the index registered 70.6 percent.

ISM’s Production Index registered 65.8 percent in December, which is an increase of 1.9 percentage points when compared to the 63.9 percent reported for November, indicating growth in production for the 16th consecutive month. This is the highest reading since May 2010, when the index registered 66.5 percent.

ISM’s Employment Index registered 57 percent in December, a decrease of 2.7 percentage points when compared to the November reading of 59.7 percent. This indicates growth in employment in December for the 15th consecutive month.

The delivery performance of suppliers to manufacturing organizations was slower in December, as the Supplier Deliveries Index registered 57.9 percent. This is 1.4 percentage points higher than the 56.5 percent reported for November. This is the 20th straight month of slowing supplier deliveries and continued delivery-performance difficulties affecting production expansion.

The Inventories Index registered 48.5 percent in December, which is an increase of 1.5 percentage points when compared to the 47 percent reported for November, indicating raw materials inventories contracted in December.

ISM’s Backlog of Orders Index registered 56 percent in December, an increase of 1 percentage point when compared to the 55 percent reported for November, indicating growth in order backlogs for the 11th consecutive month.

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 16 reported growth in December in the following order: Machinery; Computer & Electronic Products; Paper Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Primary Metals; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Furniture & Related Products; Transportation Equipment; Chemical Products; Fabricated Metal Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. Two industries reported contraction during the period: Wood Products; and Textile Mills.

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