March Purchasing Managers' Index Declined to 46.3% in March
Tempe, AZ, May 1, 2023-The March Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) registered 46.3%, 1.4 percentage points lower than the 47.7% recorded in February, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
Regarding the overall economy, this figure indicates a fourth month of contraction after a 30-month period of expansion.
The Manufacturing PMI is at its lowest level since May 2020, when it registered 43.5%.
The New Orders Index remained in contraction territory at 44.3%, 2.7 percentage points lower than the figure of 47% recorded in February.
The Production Index reading of 47.8% is a 0.5-percentage point increase compared to February’s figure of 47.3%.
The Prices Index registered 49.2%, down 2.1 percentage points compared to the February figure of 51.3%.
The Backlog of Orders Index registered 43.9%, 1.2 percentage points lower than the February reading of 45.1%.
The Employment Index continued in contraction territory, registering 46.9%, down 2.2 percentage points from February’s reading of 49.1%.
The Supplier Deliveries Index figure of 44.8% is 0.4 percentage point lower than the 45.2% recorded in February; this is the index’s lowest reading since March 2009 (43.2 percent).
The Inventories Index dropped into contraction at 47.5%, 2.6 percentage points lower than the February reading of 50.1%.
The New Export Orders Index reading of 47.6% is 2.3 percentage points lower than February’s figure of 49.9%.
The Imports Index continued in contraction territory at 47.9%, 2 percentage points below the 49.9% reported in February.
The six manufacturing industries that reported growth in March-in the following order-are Printing & Related Support Activities; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Primary Metals; and Machinery. The 12 industries reporting contraction in March, in the following order, are Furniture & Related Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Textile Mills; Plastics & Rubber Products; Paper Products; Wood Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Chemical Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Transportation Equipment.