The ISM Manufacturing Employment Index rose to 48.1 in January 2026 from 44.8 in December. Despite the improvement, the index remained below the 50 threshold that separates expansion from contraction, marking the 28th consecutive month of declining manufacturing employment. Since January 2023, employment has contracted in 36 of the past 37 months, highlighting how persistent the weakness has been. Only two of the six major manufacturing sectors, Transportation Equipment and Computer & Electronic Products, reported higher staffing levels. Overall, companies were still cutting jobs, with comments about reducing headcount outnumbering hiring plans by roughly two to one. Firms continue to take a cautious approach amid uncertain demand, relying mainly on layoffs and leaving vacant roles unfilled. At a more detailed level, five of 18 industries saw employment growth, while eleven reported declines, led by textiles, apparel, wood products and energy-related manufacturing. source: Institute for Supply Management
ISM Manufacturing Employment in the United States averaged 50.07 points from 1950 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 73.70 points in February of 1951 and a record low of 27.80 points in May of 1982. This page includes a chart with historical data for the United States ISM Manufacturing Employment. United States ISM Manufacturing Employment - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on February of 2026.
The Manufacturing ISM Report On Business is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives nationwide. Survey responses reflect the change, if any, in the current month compared to the previous month. For each of the indicators measured (New Orders, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, Imports, Production, Supplier Deliveries, Inventories, Customers' Inventories, Employment and Prices), the report shows the percentage reporting each response, the net difference between the number of responses in the positive economic direction and the negative economic direction, and the diffusion index. A PMI reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally declining.
|
Actual |
Previous |
Highest |
Lowest |
Dates |
Unit |
Frequency |
|
|
48.10 |
44.80 |
73.70 |
27.80 |
1950 - 2026 |
points |
Monthly |
SA
|