Manufacturing Continued Expanding in December

Washington, DC, Jan. 3, 2012 --  The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index for December climbed to a six month high of 53.9%, up from 52.7% in November.

Economists had anticipated a 53.0% reading.

Any reading above 50 indicates expansion. The production and employment gauges each rose 3.3 points, and there was a 0.9 percentage point gain for the new orders index.