The PMPA Business Trends Report for September 2013 shows our sales /shipments index to be down to 115 for September, up 12 points over September 2012, but down 9 points from last month,
Outlook for sales and employment remain high, and sentiments for profitability remain positive.
81 % of respondents felt sales would remain the same or increase over the next three months.
This positivity in the face of an actual decline in shipments for most respondents is a sign that the variability seen is expected, rather than a harbinger of a more drastic slowdown industry wide.
You can download a copy of the Sept. Business Trends Report Here
By the way, over one third of respondents were scheduling 45 hours or more of overtime…