Georgia Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for August is down from July
Latest reading shows sharp drop in new orders‚ continued weakness in employment; commodity prices…
Georgia (Sep 3, 2008) — Georgia Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for August is down from July
Aixa M. Pascual
Abstract
Director of University Relations
Frances Weyand Harrison
770−423−6203
fharris4@kennesaw.edu
Contact: Aixa M. Pascual‚ 678−797−2549 or
apascual@kennesaw.edu
Georgia Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for August is down from July
Latest reading shows sharp drop in new orders‚ continued weakness in employment; commodity
prices slide after months of increases‚ says KSU economics professor
KENNESAW‚ Ga.‚ (Sept. 2‚ 2008) — Manufacturing activity in Georgia declined further in the month of August‚ with
no clear signs of a turnaround in the near future‚ according to the Econometric Center
at Kennesaw State University’s Michael J. Coles College of Business.
Georgia’s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) — a reading of economic activity in the
state’s manufacturing sector — for August was 47.9‚ a decline of 1.7 points from July.
The reading indicates continued weakness in manufacturing.
Employment’s steady but low reading of 41.7‚ up 0.6 points from July‚ is the best
indicator that Georgia manufacturers are still waiting for more consistently solid
signs of improvement before they start hiring more workers. Only 4.2 percent of survey
participants added new workers to their workforce‚ said Don Sabbarese‚ professor of
economics and director of the Econometric Center at the Coles College of Business.
“Uncertainty is still the operative word for the manufacturing sector‚” Sabbarese
said. “Manufacturers selling primarily in the domestic market will remain cautious
for the remainder of this year.”
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. A PMI reading above 50 indicates that manufacturing
activity is expanding. A reading below 50 indicates the manufacturing industry is
contracting.
The latest Georgia figure reinforces a trend for both Georgia and the nation as both
surveys are converging at a measure of 50. The national PMI registered 49.9 percent‚
barely changed from 50 in July.
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 doesn’t go into
the PMI calculation.
August’s underlying PMI variables do not reveal a long−term‚ sustainable trend.
For August‚ substantial declines in new orders (−7.7 points) and supply deliveries
(−14.1) were the main contributors to the 1.7 point drop in the PMI‚ with a production
increase of 7.1 points offsetting the declines. This is a typical pattern when uncertainty
about new orders prevails. Employment increased by just 0.6 points.
“Employment remains weak at 41.7‚ slightly up from 41.1.Employment in Georgia remains
well below the national PMI employment of 49.7. Employment is considered a lagging
indicator and‚ until it begins to show some sustainable improvement‚ it suggests that
the economy is not close to recovering‚” Sabbarese said. “Georgia’s manufacturers
show no sign that we are close to rebounding.”
The commodity price reading of 66.7 for the August PMI is down 22.6 points from July.
This substantial drop in commodity prices means that the slight drop in commodity
prices reported in July could be the beginning of a long awaited relief by manufacturers‚
Sabbarese said. Manufacturers in general have struggled with high material costs and
their ability to pass them on to their customers. August’s adjustment was substantial‚
with 32.7 percent fewer manufacturers reporting higher commodity prices than in July.
The PMI‚ compiled from a monthly survey of manufacturers‚ is the earliest indicator
of market conditions in the sector. Since manufacturing is sensitive to changes in
the economy‚ it can also reveal changing macroeconomic trends‚ even if manufacturing
accounts for only 13 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
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.
For a full report of the August PMI or to schedule an interview with Professor Don
Sabbarese‚ please contact Aixa M. Pascual at 678−797−2549 or at apascual@kennesaw.edu
Kennesaw State University is the third−largest university in Georgia‚ offering more than 65 graduate and undergraduate degrees‚ including new doctorates in education and business. A member of the 35−unit University System of Georgia‚ Kennesaw State is a comprehensive‚ residential institution with a growing student population of more than 21‚000 from 142 countries.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
