Updated: 02-Sep-25 10:36 ET

August ISM Manufacturing Index

Updated: 02-Sep-25 10:36 ET

Highlights

• The August ISM Manufacturing Index checked in at 48.7% for August (Briefing.com consensus: 48.6%), up from 48.0% in July.
• The dividing line between expansion and contraction is 50.0%, so the August figure suggests manufacturing activity contracted at a slower pace than the prior month.

Key Factors

• The New Orders Index rose to 51.4% from 47.1% in July.
• The Production Index fell to 47.8% from 51.4% in July.
• The Prices Index dipped to 63.7% from 64.8% in July.
• The Employment Index edged higher to 43.8% from 43.4% in July.
• The Backlog of Orders Index slipped to 44.7% from 46.8% in July.
• The Supplier Deliveries Index rose to 51.3% from 49.3% in July.
• The New Export Orders Index increased to 47.6% from 46.1% in July.

Big Picture

• The key takeaway from the report is that the new orders index bounced back into expansion territory following six straight months of contraction; however, the overall activity for the manufacturing sector remains in a disappointing mode of contraction.

Category	AUG	JUL	JUN	MAY	APR
Total Index	48.7	48.0	49.0	48.5	48.7
Orders	51.4	47.1	46.4	47.6	47.2
Production	47.8	51.4	50.3	45.4	44.0
Employment	43.8	43.4	45.0	46.8	46.5
Deliveries	51.3	49.3	54.2	56.1	55.2
Inventories	49.4	48.9	49.2	46.7	50.8
Export Orders	47.6	46.1	46.3	40.1	43.1
Prices paid (not seas adj)	63.7	64.8	69.7	69.4	69.8