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Georgia’s November Manufacturing Activity

by: Smith and Howard

December 1, 2017

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Georgia’s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) — a reading of economic activity in the state’s manufacturing sector — increased by 6.1 points in November to 62.5. Manufacturing is sustaining recent strength, while National, Regional, and State numbers cluster at levels suggesting the expansion remains in place.

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 November respondents:

  • “Conditions are very good for our industry.”
  • “Our back log on new orders continues to increase.”
  • “Still delays due to Hurricanes earlier this year.”

Other highlights of the November PMI include:

  • New orders were up 11.6 points, to 68.8.
  • Production was up 18.8 points, to 68.8.
  • Employment was down 13.4 points, to 68.8.
  • Supplier delivery time was up 12.9 points, to 59.4.
  • Finished inventory was up 0.4 points, to 46.9.
  • Commodity prices were down 16.5 points, to 65.6.

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 November, to 58.2. 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.

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