Economic activity in the US manufacturing sector grew in March, with the overall economy achieving a 22nd consecutive month of growth, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
The March Manufacturing PMI registered 57.1 percent, a decrease of 1.5 percentage points from the February reading of 58.6 percent. This figure indicates expansion in the overall economy for the 22nd month in a row after a contraction in April and May 2020. This is the lowest reading since September 2020 (55.4 percent). Index breakdown:
| Index | March level | February level |
| New Orders | 53.8 | 61.7 |
| Production | 54.5 | 58.5 |
| Prices | 87.1 | 75.6 |
| Backlog of Orders | 60 | 65 |
| Employment | 56.3 | 52.9 |
| Supplier Deliveries | 65.4 | 66.1 |
| Inventories | 55.5 | 53.6 |
| New Export Orders | 53.2 | 57.1 |
| Imports | 51.8 | 55.4 |
Fifteen manufacturing industries reported growth in March, in the following order: apparel, leather and allied products; furniture and related products; food, beverage and tobacco products; electrical equipment, appliances and components; miscellaneous manufacturing; machinery; textile mills; transportation equipment; fabricated metal products; paper products; chemical products; computer and electronic products; nonmetallic mineral products; primary metals; and plastics and rubber products.
The two industries reporting a decrease in March compared to February are: wood products; and petroleum and coal products.