ISM’s Employment Index registered 29.9 percent in January, which is the same as the seasonally adjusted reading reported in December. This is the sixth consecutive month of decline in employment. An Employment Index above 49.7 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment.

Petroleum & Coal Products is the only industry reporting growth in employment during January. The industries that reported decreases in employment during January are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Computer & Electronic Products; Transportation Equipment; Fabricated Metal Products; Primary Metals; Chemical Products; Machinery; Printing & Related Support Activities; Wood Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Paper Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products.