Updated: 01-Oct-25 10:21 ET
Highlights
- The September ISM Manufacturing Index checked in at 49.1% for September (Briefing.com consensus: 49.2%), up from 48.7% in August.
- The dividing line between expansion and contraction is 50.0%, so the September figure, which is the seventh straight month below 50.0%, suggests manufacturing activity contracted at a slower pace than the prior month.
- The New Orders Index fell to 48.9% from 51.4% in August.
- The Production Index rose to 51.0% from 47.8% in August.
- The Prices Index dipped to 61.9% from 63.7% in August.
- The Employment Index rose to 45.3% from 43.8% in August.
- The Backlog of Orders Index increased to 46.2% from 44.7% in August.
- The Supplier Deliveries Index jumpd to 52.6% from 51.3% in August.
- The New Export Orders Index dropped to 43.0% from 47.6% in August.
- The key takeaway from the report is that the manufacturing sector remains in a state of contraction, with new order activity under pressure from tariff costs and uncertainty.
| Category | SEP | AUG | JUL | JUN | MAY |
| Total Index | 49.1 | 48.7 | 48.0 | 49.0 | 48.5 |
| Orders | 48.9 | 51.4 | 47.1 | 46.4 | 47.6 |
| Production | 51.0 | 47.8 | 51.4 | 50.3 | 45.4 |
| Employment | 45.3 | 43.8 | 43.4 | 45.0 | 46.8 |
| Deliveries | 52.6 | 51.3 | 49.3 | 54.2 | 56.1 |
| Inventories | 47.7 | 49.4 | 48.9 | 49.2 | 46.7 |
| Export Orders | 43.0 | 47.6 | 46.1 | 46.3 | 40.1 |
| Prices paid (not seas adj) | 61.9 | 63.7 | 64.8 | 69.7 | 69.4 |
