Finally, some good news from the factory floor.
Manufacturing activity in Georgia, which had declined for four consecutive months through August, improved in September, according to the latest report from the Econometric Center at the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University.
The Georgia Purchasing Manager’s Index, derived from a sampling of state manufacturers, inched up to 52.0 last month.
When the PMI, a composite index with five equally weighted variables including new orders, production and employment, is above 50, it indicates manufacturing activity is expanding. Anything below 50 suggests the industry is contracting.
An upturn in September in new orders among manufacturers helped drive the turnaround. The report does not break it down by industry for Georgia.
Don Sabbarese, director of the Econometric Center, called the improvement “… certainly a move in the right direction.”
Still, he said, “As always, a one-month change in a trend is insufficient proof that manufacturing has turned the corner on this most recent decline. It may be a signal that the PMI decline has ended, but remains weak.”
