Manufacturing Activity Rose To 3-Months High, Says PMI Data

Manufacturing activity saw sharp growth in July 2021 which grew at its fastest pace in three months, thus reversing the contraction seen in June 2021

Manufacturing activity witnessed sharp growth in July 2021 which grew at its fastest pace in three months, thus reversing the contraction seen in June 2021. The growth was mainly propelled by states relaxing their Covid-induced lockdowns, which led to slight growth in employment. The Nikkei Manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 55.3 in July 2021 from 48.1 in the previous month. The PMI for manufacturing had shrunk for the first time in 11 months in June. The sharp growth in manufacturing elicited a reaction from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who tweeted on Tuesday that “after slipping into contraction for the first time in 11 months…PMI…in July at 55.3, pointing to the strongest rate of growth in three months…June was 48.1. Operating conditions… improved during July, after growth was halted by…the pandemic in June”. Output, new orders, exports, quantity of purchases and input stocks expanded in July, while a marginal increase in employment ended a 15-month sequence of job shedding.