The U.S. manufacturing sector contracted in April, Manufacturing PMI® registered 49.2%, down 1.1 percentage points (pp) from the seasonally adjusted 50.3% recorded in March. Regarding the overall economy, this figure indicates that the economy continued in expansion for the 48th month after one month of contraction in April 2020. (A manufacturing PMI® above 42.5%, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.)
The Employment Index registered 48.6%, up 1.2 pp from March’s figure of 47.4%.
The Prices Index registered 60.9%, up 5.1 pp compared to the reading of 55.8% in March.
The New Orders Index moved back into contraction territory after one month of expansion, registering 49.1%, 2.3 pp lower than the 51.4% recorded in March.
The New Export Orders Index reading of 48.7% is 2.9 pp lower than the 51.6% registered in March.
The Inventories Index registered 48.2%, the same reading as in March.
Read the ISM release.
