Manufacturing expansion slowed in January
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded at a slower pace in January than in December according to the Institute for Supply Management.
The January purchasing index registered 53.5 percent, a decrease of 1.6 percentage points from December’s seasonally adjusted reading of 55.1 percent. The New Orders Index registered 52.9 percent, a decrease of 4.9 percentage points from the seasonally adjusted reading of 57.8 percent in December.
"Comments from the panel indicate that most industries, but not all, are experiencing strong demand as 2015 kicks off. The West Coast dock slowdown continues to be a problem, negatively impacting both exports and imports as well as inventories," said Bradley J. Holcomb, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.
While the January results marked the third straight monthly decrease and the lowest since January 2014, any reading above 50 signals expansion.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The March/April issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Joyce Lansdale and Vallen. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and David Kahle, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
