Updated: 03-Aug-26 10:31 ET

July ISM Manufacturing Index

Updated: 03-Aug-26 10:31 ET

Highlights

• The ISM Manufacturing Index increased to 55.6% in July (Briefing.com consensus 54.0%) from 53.3% in June.
• The dividing line between expansion and contraction is 50.0%, so the July figure suggests manufacturing activity expanded in July from the prior month.

Key Factors

• The New Orders Index increased to 56.7% from 56.0%.
• The Production Index jumped to 58.5% from 52.2%.
• The Prices Index slipped to 71.1% from 73.0%.
• The Employment Index rose to 52.8% from 49.7%, hitting its highest level since August 2022.
• The Backlog of Orders Index increased to 55.0% from 50.5%.
• The Supplier Deliveries Index improved to 58.9% from 57.4%.
• The New Export Orders Index stands at 53.0% versus 48.5% in June.

Big Picture

• The key takeaway from the report is that manufacturing activity picked up steam in July, with the PMI logging its highest reading since May 2022.

Category	JUL	JUN	MAY	APR	MAR
Total Index	55.6	53.3	54.0	52.7	52.7
Orders	56.7	56.0	56.8	54.1	53.5
Production	58.5	52.2	54.3	53.4	55.1
Employment	52.8	49.7	48.6	46.4	48.7
Deliveries	58.9	57.4	60.6	60.6	58.9
Inventories	51.2	51.4	49.9	49.0	40.1
Export Orders	53.0	48.5	50.6	47.9	49.9
Prices paid (not seas adj)	71.1	73.0	82.1	84.6	78.3