Economic activity in the US manufacturing sector contracted in May for the seventh consecutive month following a 28-month period of growth, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business.
The May Manufacturing PMI registered 46.9 percent, 0.2 percentage point lower than the 47.1 percent recorded in April. Regarding the overall economy, this figure indicates a sixth month of contraction after a 30-month period of expansion. Index breakdown:
| Index | May level | April level |
| New Orders | 42.6 | 45.7 |
| Production | 51.1 | 48.9 |
| Prices | 44.2 | 53.2 |
| Backlog of Orders | 37.5 | 43.1 |
| Employment | 51.4 | 50.2 |
| Supplier Deliveries | 43.5 | 44.6 |
| Inventories | 45.8 | 46.3 |
| New Export Orders | 50 | 49.8 |
| Imports | 47.3 | 49.9 |
The four manufacturing industries that reported growth in May are: nonmetallic mineral products; furniture and related products; transportation equipment; and fabricated metal products.
The 14 industries reporting contraction in May, in the following order, are: wood products; primary metals; apparel, leather and allied products; textile mills; paper products; printing and related support activities; petroleum and coal products; chemical products; food, beverage and tobacco products; computer and electronic products; electrical equipment, appliances and components; plastics and rubber products; miscellaneous manufacturing; and machinery.