Inland Empire manufacturers “registered an impressive gain” last month as firms increased production, new orders and even hiring, according to a Cal State San Bernardino report.
The San Bernardino campus’ Institute for Applied Research, which produces a monthly survey on inland manufacturing, reported the new numbers this morning.
Researchers survey manufacturers’ purchasing managers to gauge whether San Bernardino and Riverside county’s goods producers are expanding or contracting. The researchers then take those responses to compile an index in which any number above 50 signifies growth.
In March, the Purchasing Managers Index jumped from 53.5 to 60.8. Perhaps more impressive is the jump in the hiring index, which in March reached 63, the highest it has been since May 2005.
“This report is especially strong, suggesting that the recovery noted in prior ROB (Report on Business) reports is gaining momentum,” researchers Shel Bockman and Barbara Sirotnik wrote.
andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
909-386-3872, 909-483-8550, @InlandBizz
Read more:http://www.sbsun.com/business/ci_20307872/inland-empire-manufacturing-index-improves#ixzz1qv6rPDao
Business Conditions Report, metalforming companies are optimistic about business conditions during the next three months. Conducted monthly, the report is an economic indicator for manufacturing, sampling 119 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada.
