Purchasing Managers Index Reports Decrease for April

Tempe, AZ, May 1, 2017-The April Purchasing Managers Index registered 54.8%, a decrease of 2.4 percentage points from the March reading of 57.2%, reports the Institute for Supply Management.

The New Orders Index registered 57.5%, a decrease of 7 percentage points from the March reading of 64.5%.

The Production Index registered 58.6%, 1 percentage point higher than the March reading of 57.6%.

The Employment Index registered 52%, a decrease of 6.9 percentage points from the March reading of 58.9%.

Inventories of raw materials registered 51%, an increase of 2 percentage points from the March reading of 49%.

The Prices Index registered 68.5% in April, a decrease of 2 percentage points from the March reading of 70.5%, indicating higher raw materials prices for the 14th consecutive month, but at a slower rate of increase in April compared with March.

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

The only industry that reported contraction in April compared to March is Apparel, Leather & Allied Products.