Manufacturing expansion continues but weakly

Economic expansion continued across nine Midwestern states, albeit at a slow pace, in April, according to surveys of manufacturing companies’ purchasing managers.

An index created from the survey results registered 50.1. It had been 50.6 in March. Readings above 50 neutral indicate economic growth while readings below 50 show contraction.

Similarly, the national purchasing managers index produced by the Institute for Supply Management fell in April. Its 50.8 reading remained on the expansion side of neutral for 83 months, its report said. The national index had been at 51.8 in March.

Creighton University, which does the regional survey and index, the decline in the index had followed three months of increases. It also noted that the employment segment of the survey and index fell.

“Over the past year, the region’s manufacturing sector has lost approximately 1.9 percent, or roughly 26,000 manufacturing jobs,” its announcement said.

An index for Missouri, which is one of the nine states, rose to 50.1 from 49.9 in March. Kansas’ index fell to 48.9 from 49.5 in March, showing economic contraction in both months.

This story was originally published May 2, 2016 at 9:59 AM with the headline "Manufacturing expansion continues but weakly."