Updated: 01-Sep-26 10:31 ET

August ISM Manufacturing Index

Updated: 01-Sep-26 10:31 ET

Highlights

• The ISM Manufacturing Index decreased to 54.6% in August (Briefing.com consensus: 55.3%) from 55.6% in July.
• The dividing line between expansion and contraction is 50.0%, so the August figure suggests manufacturing activity expanded in August from the prior month but at a slower pace.

Key Factors

• The New Orders Index decreased to 53.7% from 56.7%.
• The Production Index slipped to 58.3% from 58.5%.
• The Prices Index was unchanged at 71.1%. That was the 23rd straight month that prices for raw materials increased.
• The Employment Index fell to 51.2% from 52.8%.
• The Backlog of Orders Index dropped to 51.8% from 55.0%.
• The Supplier Deliveries Index increased to 59.3% from 58.9%.
• The New Export Orders Index stands at 53.2% versus 53.0% in July.

Big Picture

• The key takeaway from the report is that slower growth was indicated across most report categories. The notable exception was prices, which increased at the same pace as the prior month.

Category	AUG	JUL	JUN	MAY	APR
Total Index	54.6	55.6	53.3	54.0	52.7
Orders	53.7	56.7	56.0	56.8	54.1
Production	58.3	58.5	52.2	54.3	53.4
Employment	51.2	52.8	49.7	48.6	46.4
Deliveries	59.3	58.9	57.4	60.6	60.6
Inventories	50.6	51.2	51.4	49.9	49.0
Export Orders	53.2	53.0	48.5	50.6	47.9
Prices paid (not seas adj)	71.1	71.1	73.0	82.1	84.6