Economic activity in the US manufacturing sector grew in January, with the overall economy notching an eighth consecutive month of growth, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
The January Manufacturing PMI registered 58.7 percent, down 1.8 percentage points from the seasonally adjusted December reading of 60.5 percent. This figure indicates expansion in the overall economy for the eighth month in a row after contraction in March, April, and May. Index breakdown:
| Index | January level | December level |
| New Orders | 61.1 | 67.9 |
| Production | 60.7 | 64.8 |
| Backlog of Orders | 59.7 | 59.1 |
| Employment | 52.6 | 51.5 |
| Supplier Deliveries | 68.2 | 67.6 |
| Inventories | 50.8 | 51.6 |
| Prices | 82.1 | 77.6 |
| New Export Orders | 54.9 | 57.5 |
| Imports | 56.8 | 54.6 |
Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 16 reported growth in January, in the following order: electrical equipment, appliances and components; machinery; primary metals; chemical products; fabricated metal products; plastics and rubber products; transportation equipment; apparel, leather and allied products; paper products; wood products; food, beverage and tobacco products; nonmetallic mineral products; furniture and related products; miscellaneous manufacturing; textile mills; and computer and electronic products.
The two industries reporting contraction in January are: printing and related support activities; and petroleum and coal products.