ISM’s New Orders Index registered 22.7 percent in December, 5.2 percentage points lower than the 27.9 percent registered in November. This is the lowest reading on record for this index going back to January 1948. A New Orders Index above 51.6 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Census Bureau’s series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars).
In December, none of the 18 manufacturing industries reported growth in new orders. The industries failing to grow in December are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Wood Products; Machinery; Primary Metals; Paper Products; Transportation Equipment; Chemical Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Furniture & Related Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Textile Mills; Computer & Electronic Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing.
| New Orders | %Better | %Same | %Worse | Net | Index | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Dec 2008 | 5 | 31 | 64 | -59 | 22.7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nov 2008 | 12 | 29 | 59 | -47 | 27.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Oct 2008 | 13 | 35 | 52 | -39 | 32.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sep 2008 | 18 | 43 | 39 | -21 | 38.8 |
