The ISM Prices Index registered 18 percent in December compared to 25.5 percent in November, indicating manufacturers are paying lower prices on average when compared to November. This is the lowest reading for the index since June 1949 when it registered 10.6 percent. While 2 percent of respondents reported paying higher prices and 66 percent reported paying lower prices, 32 percent of supply executives reported paying the same prices as the preceding month. A Prices Index above 47.4 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Index of Manufacturers Prices.

In December, none of the 18 manufacturing industries reported paying higher prices. The industries that reported paying lower prices during December are: Petroleum & Coal Products; Machinery; Fabricated Metal Products; Primary Metals; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Paper Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Transportation Equipment; Chemical Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Wood Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Plastics & Rubber Products; Textile Mills; Furniture & Related Products; and Computer & Electronic Products.