Manufacturing ends 19-month slide

March 1, 2002
Manufacturing ended its 19-month long slide in February as factories worked to meet a wave of new orders, an industry report showed today. The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) monthly Purchasing Managers Index rose to 54.7 in February from 49.9 in January. The index broke 50 for the first time since July 2000. "February signals the turnaround for manufacturing," said Norbert Ore, chairman of

Manufacturing ended its 19-month long slide in February as factories worked to meet a wave of new orders, an industry report showed today.

The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) monthly Purchasing Managers Index rose to 54.7 in February from 49.9 in January. The index broke 50 for the first time since July 2000.

"February signals the turnaround for manufacturing," said Norbert Ore, chairman of ISM's business survey committee. "Manufacturing has struggled and hopefully this signals the beginning of a strong recovery."

ISM added that its employment index rose to 43.8% in February, up from 42.6% in January. Its new orders index jumped to 62.8 from 55.3 in January, while its production index rose to 61.2 from 52.0.

About the Author

Tim Parry

Tim Parry is a former FleetOwner editor. 

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

What challenges are top of mind for fleet professionals in 2025? Get exclusive insights from the 2025 Fleet Trends Survey and discover where the industry is headed next.
The most successful fleets accomplish more than delivering freight. To accomplish this, fleets need a fuel that’s reliable, more economical and more sustainable. That fuel is ...
Are your KPIs driving real fleet improvement? Learn how to set smarter, data-driven benchmarks, track success like top-performing fleets, and apply proven strategies to optimize...
Learn how eets can enhance truck utilization and minimize safety incidents using business intelligence and AI. Delve into innovative practices, technology integration and real...