The latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® states the overall economy in the United States grew for the 67th consecutive month. The manufacturing sector also expanded in December for the 19th consecutive month. The index, though, is lower than November.
Manufacturing expanded in December as the PMI® registered 55.5 percent, a decrease of 3.2 percentage points when compared to November’s reading of 58.7 percent, indicating growth in manufacturing for the 19th consecutive month. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting.
Reference
Holcomb, B. J. (2015, January 2). December 2014 Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®. Retrieved January 2, 2015, from http://www.ism.ws/ISMReport/MfgROB.cfm?navItemNumber=24581