Editor’s Note
This summary highlights the divergent trends within U.S. manufacturing in December. While the sectors of Electrical Equipment and Computer & Electronic Products reported growth, a significant majority—15 industries—experienced contraction, led by Apparel and Wood Products.
The two manufacturing industries reporting growth in December are: Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Computer & Electronic Products. The 15 industries reporting contraction in December — in the following order — are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Textile Mills; Paper Products; Chemical Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Primary Metals; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Plastics & Rubber Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Transportation Equipment.
The two manufacturing industries that reported growth in new orders in December are: Computer & Electronic Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. The 13 industries reporting a decline in new orders in December, in order, are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Paper Products; Textile Mills; Petroleum & Coal Products; Chemical Products; Primary Metals; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Machinery; and Transportation Equipment.
The four industries reporting growth in production during the month of December are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Transportation Equipment. The nine industries reporting a decrease in production in December — in the following order — are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Textile Mills; Wood Products; Chemical Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Primary Metals; and Machinery.
Of the 18 manufacturing industries, three reported employment growth in December: Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Transportation Equipment; and Machinery. The 13 industries reporting a decrease in employment in December, in the following order, are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Paper Products; Textile Mills; Petroleum & Coal Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Chemical Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components.
The eight manufacturing industries reporting slower supplier deliveries in December, in order, are: Textile Mills; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Primary Metals; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. The four industries reporting faster supplier deliveries in December are: Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Transportation Equipment; Plastics & Rubber Products; and Chemical Products. Six industries reported no change in supplier deliveries in December.
Of 18 manufacturing industries, the two reporting higher inventories in December are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. The 10 industries reporting lower inventories in December — listed in order — are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Textile Mills; Paper Products; Chemical Products; Primary Metals; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Machinery; Plastics & Rubber Products; Computer & Electronic Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing. Six industries reported no change in inventories in December.
No industries reported customers’ inventories as too high in December. The 11 industries reporting customers’ inventories as too low in December, in order, are: Wood Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Paper Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Primary Metals; Chemical Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Transportation Equipment; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. Seven industries reported no change in customers’ inventories in December.
In December, the 11 industries that reported paying increased prices for raw materials, in order, are: Fabricated Metal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Furniture & Related Products; Machinery; Primary Metals; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Wood Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Computer & Electronic Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. The four industries that reported paying decreased prices for raw materials in December are: Textile Mills; Plastics & Rubber Products; Paper Products; and Chemical Products.
The only industry reporting higher backlogs in December is Computer & Electronic Products. The 11 industries reporting lower backlogs in December — in the following order — are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Primary Metals; Textile Mills; Wood Products; Machinery; Paper Products; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Chemical Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. Six industries reported no change in backlog of orders in December.
Of the 18 manufacturing industries, the five that reported growth in new export orders in December are: Wood Products; Primary Metals; Plastics & Rubber Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Computer & Electronic Products. The eight industries that reported a decrease in new export orders in December — in the following order — are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Paper Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Chemical Products; and Machinery.