NEW YORK – The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Index decreased to 52 in December from 57 in November, according to the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee.
New orders dropped to 55 from 63, production fell to 57 from 64, backlog decreased to 49 from 51, and supplier lead times fell to 34 from 40.
Blue collar employment dipped to 51 from 54, while white collar employment fell to 51 from 56. Inventory levels slid to 37 from 39, while capital equipment purchases increased to 58 from 56.
The prices paid index slipped to 55 from 56, with 10 categories rising in price and seven falling, while one was steady. Fourteen of the 21 are above 50, while 5 are under 50. Chemicals rose 8 points, hydraulics rose 7, ferrous fell 24, fuel slid 23, petroleum was off 10, and copper declined seven points.
