• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • Subscribe
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • RSS
  • RSMUS.com

The Real Economy Blog

Search

  • Economics
  • Technology
  • Consumer
  • Industrials
  • Finance
  • Real Estate
  • Health Care
  • Life Sciences
Home > Coronavirus > CHART OF THE DAY: U.S. manufacturing activity finishes the year strong

CHART OF THE DAY: U.S. manufacturing activity finishes the year strong

Jan. 5, 2021 by Jason Alexander

  • email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

U.S. manufacturing activity continued to expand in December, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index released on Tuesday.

The index registered 60.7 in December, its eighth straight month of expansion, and 3.2 points above the 57.5 reading in November. December’s reading was well ahead of economists’ forecasts, which called for a reading of 56.8. Any reading above 50 suggests an expansion.

All six of the biggest manufacturing industries in the ISM index registered moderate to strong growth in December.

All six of the biggest manufacturing industries in the index registered moderate to strong growth — fabricated metal products; computer and electronic products; transportation equipment; chemical products; petroleum and coal products; and food, beverage and tobacco products.

The expansion in the index was led by growth in the new orders, production and employment indices, and is a pleasant surprise compared with recent data from the regional manufacturing surveys. That may be because the indices do not include activity from states, which make up the lion’s share of activity with China.

The new orders index registered 67.9, up 2.8 points from the November reading of 65.1. The production index registered 64.8, an increase of 4 points compared to the November reading of 60.8. The employment index returned to expansion territory at 51.5, 3.1 points higher than the November reading of 48.4, showing there is still work to be done before employment reaches pre-pandemic levels.

Overall, manufacturing growth remains on solid footing as the new year begins, with the headline index at its highest since August 2018.

For more information on how the coronavirus is affecting midsize businesses, please visit the RSM Coronavirus Resource Center.

  • email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Related posts

  • US manufacturing activity hits 10-year low point

    Contraction in U.S. manufacturing is continuing, with activity reaching a ten-year low in September, as economic and political uncertainty weigh on the industrial sector.

  • CHART OF THE DAY: Manufacturing expansion continues in November

    U.S. manufacturing activity continued its expansion in November, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index. The index registered 57.5 in November, its seventh straight month of expansion, but was 1.8 points below the 59.3…

  • CHART OF THE DAY: A record year for SPACs

    Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) are continuing their blockbuster year, with dollars raised in 2020 already beating the total from the previous 10 years combined, according to data from Bloomberg.

Filed Under: Coronavirus, Industrials Tagged With: coronavirus, Covid-19, ISM manufacturing index, manufacturing

About Jason Alexander

@jaalex53

Jason assists clients in the industrial products, consumer products and financial services industries and has more than 15 years of experience serving large multinational clients with particular emphasis on SEC clients, Fortune 500 and middle market companies. Jason has previously advised clients in the areas of accounting, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, process design and improvement, internal audit, regulatory compliance, internal and external financial reporting and information technology system implementation. Strong record of accomplishment of people, team and practice development across North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Jason is also on the Board of Directors of the RSM US Foundation and a member of RSM’s cutting edge Industry Eminence Program, which positions participants to understand, forecast and communicate economic, business and technology trends shaping the industries RSM serves.

Primary Sidebar

Other Regions

  • Canada
  • United Kingdom

Categories

  • Economics
  • Technology
  • Consumer Products
  • Industrials
  • Financial Services
  • Real Estate
  • Health Care
  • Life Sciences

Recent Manufacturing articles

RSMUS.com links

The Real Economy

Middle Market Business Index

MMBI Special Reports

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS

About The Real Economy Blog

The Real Economy Blog from RSM US LLP was developed to provide timely economic insights about the middle market economy. It is offered as a complement to RSM’s macroeconomic thought leadership, including The Real Economy monthly publication and the proprietary RSM US Middle Market Business Index (MMBI).

© 2021 RSMUS.com | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy

The Real Economy Blog
  • Economics
  • Technology
  • Consumer
  • Industrials
  • Finance
  • Real Estate
  • Health Care
  • Life Sciences