Updated: 02-Jun-25 10:33 ET
Highlights
- The May ISM Manufacturing Index slipped to 48.5% in May (Briefing.com consensus 49.0%) from 48.7% in April.
- The dividing line between expansion and contraction is 50.0%, so the May reading suggests that activity in the manufacturing sector contracted at a slightly faster pace than the prior month.
- The New Orders Index rose to 47.6% from 47.2% in April.
- The Production Index jumped to 45.4% from 44.0% in April.
- The Prices Index edged dipped to 69.4% from 69.8% in April.
- The Employment Index increased to 46.8% from 46.5% in April.
- The Backlog of Orders Index improved to 47.1% from 43.7% in April.
- The Supplier Deliveries Index increased to 56.1% from 55.2% in April.
- The New Export Orders Index dropped to 40.1% from 43.1% in April. Excluding COVID-19, this is the lowest reading since March 2009.
- The key takeaway from the report is that manufacturing sector activity was hampered in May by tariff uncertainty.
| Category | MAY | APR | MAR | FEB | JAN |
| Total Index | 48.5 | 48.7 | 49.0 | 50.3 | 50.9 |
| Orders | 47.6 | 47.2 | 45.2 | 48.6 | 55.1 |
| Production | 45.4 | 44.0 | 48.3 | 50.7 | 52.5 |
| Employment | 46.8 | 46.5 | 44.7 | 47.6 | 50.3 |
| Deliveries | 56.1 | 55.2 | 53.5 | 54.5 | 50.9 |
| Inventories | 46.7 | 50.8 | 53.4 | 49.9 | 45.9 |
| Export Orders | 40.1 | 43.1 | 49.6 | 51.4 | 52.4 |
| Prices paid (not seas adj) | 69.4 | 69.8 | 69.4 | 62.4 | 54.9 |
