2017 Georgia’s March Manufacturing Activity

Georgia’s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) — a reading of economic activity in the state’s manufacturing sector — increased significantly for the second straight month, rising by 9.3 points in March to 72.4. The national PMI slips marginally but is still consistent with industrial expansion.

The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) Report is underwritten by the Manufacturing and Distribution Group of Smith and Howard, a top Atlanta CPA firm with a focus on serving manufacturing businesses, and is produced monthly by the Econometric Center at Kennesaw State University.

Some general remarks from the March respondents:

• “Economy is strong.”
• “Business is booming – greater than 20% over last year.”
• “We expect continued upward pressure on the costs of raw materials and freight to deliver them.”

Other highlights of the March PMI include:

• New orders were up 16.4 points, to 88.2
• Production was up 10.8 points, to 76.5
• Employment was up 11.2 points, to 70.6
• Supplier delivery time was down 9.9 points, to 58.8
• Finished inventory was up 17.6 points, to 67.6
• Commodity prices were up 10.7 points, to 79.4

The Georgia PMI provides a snapshot of manufacturing activity in the state, just as the monthly PMI released by the Institute for Supply Management provides a picture of national manufacturing activity. The national PMI was down 0.5 points in March, to 57.2. A PMI reading above 50 indicates that manufacturing activity is expanding; a reading below 50 indicates it is contracting.

The Georgia PMI reading is a composite of five variables — new orders, production, employment, supply deliveries and finished inventory. A sixth variable, commodity prices, is compiled by the Coles College’s Econometric Center but does not go into the PMI calculation.

The PMI, compiled from a monthly survey of manufacturers, is the earliest indicator of market conditions in the sector. Since manufacturing, which accounts for 11 percent of GDP, is sensitive to changes in the economy, it can also reveal changing macroeconomic trends.

The PMI’s value is in its timeliness and sensitivity to variables such as interest rates, global markets and other economic changes. The Georgia PMI provides valuable data used by institutions such as the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to assist in their analysis of current economic conditions, along with many other data sources, to get a picture of economic activity.

Read the entire report by clicking here. Contact any member of the manufacturing industry group or the distribution industry group of Smith and Howard at 404-874-6244 or simply fill out the form below.