ISM®’s New Orders Index registered 52.9 percent in January, a decrease of 4.9 percentage points when compared to the December seasonally adjusted reading of 57.8 percent, indicating growth in new orders for the 20th consecutive month. A New Orders Index above 52.1 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Census Bureau’s series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars).
The 10 industries reporting growth in new orders in January — listed in order — are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Paper Products; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Transportation Equipment; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Computer & Electronic Products; and Chemical Products. The four industries reporting a decrease in new orders during January are: Textile Mills; Furniture & Related Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; and Nonmetallic Mineral Products.