Production and orders strengthen
Production rose to 59.0 from 56.7; new orders edged up to 55.5 from 55.3. Employment eased to 52.4 from 52.7.
Prices are a diffusion index
The prices index fell from 77.9 to 75.2. It measures the breadth of reported price changes, not an inflation rate of 75.2%.
Official report
Key figures
01
Manufacturing
55.5
02
Employment
52.4
03
Prices index
75.2
Questions and answers
Does 55.5 also describe services?
No. Manufacturing and services are separate surveys. The next calendar countdown is for the November 4 services release, not the already published manufacturing report.