” U.S. manufacturing activity hovered at a near 4-1/2-year high in September and factory employment surged, supporting views of sturdy economic growth this quarter.”- Reuters
PMPA’s August Business Trends Report showed that for the month our industry took a bit of a breather, but sales and shipments remain up over 5% over 2013 levels.
 

A bit of a breather for precision machining.
A bit of a breather for precision machining.

Reuters also mentioned:

  • Markit said its preliminary or “flash” factory purchasing managers index came in at 57.9, unchanged from August when it touched its highest level since April 2010.
  • Factory jobs rose for a second straight month, Markit said, with a gauge of labor market conditions touching its highest level since March 2012.
  • New orders held steady above the 60 level for the third time in the past four months, indicating persistent demand for manufactured goods.
  • The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond said its regional manufacturing index increased this month, with factories citing a rise in new orders and shipments.

PMPA members continue to report strong sales, scheduled overtime, increasing lead times and very strong prospects for employment in our industry.
Manufacturing near a 4-1/2 year high?
We can agree with that.
Reuters article