US Manufacturing Reports Mixed

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in May, and the overall economy returned to expansion after one month of contraction, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM^® Report On Business^®.

The report was issued today by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management^® (ISM^®) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee: “The May PMI^® registered 43.1 percent, up 1.6 percentage points from the April reading of 41.5 percent. This figure indicates expansion in the overall economy after April’s contraction, which ended a period of 131 consecutive months of growth. The New Orders Index registered 31.8 percent, an increase of 4.7 percentage points from the April reading of 27.1 percent. The Production Index registered 33.2 percent, up 5.7 percentage points compared to the April reading of 27.5 percent. The Backlog of Orders Index registered 38.2 percent, an increase of 0.4 percentage point compared to the April reading of 37.8 percent. The Employment Index registered 32.1 percent, an increase of 4.6 percentage points from the April reading of 27.5 percent. The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 68 percent; though down 8 percentage points from the April figure of 76 percent, this high reading elevated the composite PMI^®.

...meanwhile...

May data signalled a slightly softer, but nonetheless severe, contraction in U.S. manufacturing output. The decrease in output was largely driven by a further weakening of client demand and lower new order inflows from both domestic and foreign customers amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. A marked decline in total sales and negative sentiment towards the outlook for output over the coming year drove employment down, as firms reduced workforce numbers substantially.  

At the same time, lower input buying and weaker overall demand conditions put pressure on suppliers to lower their prices. Consequently, input costs fell again, in turn helping manufacturers to cut their output charges at a record pace as firms sought to remain competitive.  

The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit final U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI™) posted 39.8 in May, up from 36.1 at the start of the second quarter. Although slightly higher than April's recent low, the latest figure signalled the second-steepest deterioration in manufacturing operating conditions since April 2009.