Economic activity in the US manufacturing sector expanded in March after contracting for 16 consecutive months, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
The Manufacturing PMI registered 50.3 percent in March, up 2.5 percentage points from the 47.8 percent recorded in February. The overall economy continued in expansion for the 47th month after one month of contraction in April 2020. Index breakdown:
| Index | March level | February level |
| New Orders | 51.4 | 49.2 |
| Production | 54.6 | 48.4 |
| Prices | 55.8 | 52.5 |
| Backlog of Orders | 46.3 | 46.3 |
| Employment | 47.4 | 45.9 |
| Supplier Deliveries | 49.9 | 50.1 |
| Inventories | 48.2 | 45.3 |
| New Export Orders | 51.6 | 51.6 |
| Imports | 53 | 53 |
The nine manufacturing industries reporting growth in March, in order, are: textile mills; nonmetallic mineral products; paper products; petroleum and coal products; primary metals; food, beverage and tobacco products; fabricated metal products; chemical products; and transportation equipment.
The six industries reporting contraction in March, in the following order, are: furniture and related products; plastics and rubber products; electrical equipment, appliances and components; machinery; computer and electronic products; and miscellaneous manufacturing.