TEMPE, Ariz.— Furniture & Related Products continued a recent upward trend in a new report on manufacturing.

Overall, economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in June for the eighth consecutive month following a 28-month period of growth, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.

The report was issued by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

Upward trends for furniture, included growth in new orders when 
Furniture & related products was one of five manufacturing industries to show growth. 

• This segment was one of eight industries reporting growth in production. 
• Furniture was one of 6 manufacturing industries that reported employment growth in June, and it is one of nine industries reporting faster supplier deliveries in June.
• Furniture was one of 12 industries that had contracting inventories and one of 13 industries reporting paying decreased prices for raw materials in June.

Overall, “The June Manufacturing PMI registered 46 percent, 0.9 percentage point lower than the 46.9 percent recorded in May. Regarding the overall economy, this figure indicates a seventh month of contraction after a 30-month period of expansion. The New Orders Index remained in contraction territory at 45.6 percent, 3 percentage points higher than the figure of 42.6 percent recorded in May. The Production Index reading of 46.7 percent is a 4.4-percentage point decrease compared to May’s figure of 51.1 percent. The Prices Index registered 41.8 percent, down 2.4 percentage points compared to the May figure of 44.2 percent. The Backlog of Orders Index registered 38.7 percent, 1.2 percentage points higher than the May reading of 37.5 percent. The Employment Index dropped into contraction, registering 48.1 percent, down 3.3 percentage points from May’s reading of 51.4 percent.

“The Supplier Deliveries Index figure of 45.7 percent is 2.2 percentage points higher than the 43.5 percent recorded in May. This figure, along with the previous seven, is the Supplier Deliveries Index’s lowest reading since March 2009 (43.2 percent). (Supplier Deliveries is the only ISM® Report On Business® index that is inversed; a reading of above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries, which is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases.)

“The Inventories Index dropped 1.8 percentage points to 44 percent; the May reading was 45.8 percent. The New Export Orders Index reading of 47.3 percent is 2.7 percentage points lower than May’s figure of 50 percent. The Imports Index remained in contraction territory, registering 49.3 percent, 2 percentage points higher than the 47.3 percent reported in May.”

Fiore continues, “The U.S. manufacturing sector shrank again, with the Manufacturing PMI losing ground compared to the previous month, indicating a faster rate of contraction. The June composite index reading reflects companies continuing to manage outputs down as softness continues and optimism about the second half of 2023 weakens. Demand eased again, with the (1) New Orders Index contracting but at a slower rate, (2) New Export Orders Index moving into contraction and (3) Backlog of Orders Index remaining at a level not seen since early in the coronavirus pandemic (May 2020). A potential bright spot: The Customers’ Inventories Index dropped into ‘too low’ territory, a positive for future production. Output/Consumption (measured by the Production and Employment indexes) was negative, with a combined 7.7-percentage point downward impact on the Manufacturing PMI calculation. Panelists’ companies reduced production and began using layoffs to manage head counts, to a greater extent than in prior months, amid mixed sentiment about when significant growth will return. Inputs — defined as supplier deliveries, inventories, prices and imports — continue to accommodate future demand growth. The Supplier Deliveries Index continued to indicate faster deliveries, and the Inventories Index dropped further into contraction as panelists’ companies try to mitigate inventories exposure. The Prices Index fell further into ‘decreasing’ territory. Manufacturing lead times improved again but remain at elevated levels.

“Of the six biggest manufacturing industries, only one — Transportation Equipment — registered growth in June.
“Demand remains weak, production is slowing due to lack of work, and suppliers have capacity. There are signs of more employment reduction actions in the near term. Seventy-one percent of manufacturing gross domestic product (GDP) contracted in June, down from 76 percent in May. More industries contracted strongly, however, as the share of manufacturing GDP registering a composite PMI® calculation at or below 45 percent — a good barometer of overall manufacturing weakness — was 44 percent in June, compared to 31 percent in May,” says Fiore.

The four manufacturing industries that reported growth in June are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Primary Metals; and Transportation Equipment. The 11 industries reporting contraction in June, in the following order, are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Wood Products; Textile Mills; Chemical Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Computer & Electronic Products; Paper Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Machinery.