New Export Orders

Orders and requests for services and other non-manufacturing activities to be provided outside of the United States by domestically based personnel indicated contraction for the month of April. The New Export Orders Index for April registered 48.5 percent, compared to March''s index of 55 percent. Of the total respondents in April, 68 percent indicated they either do not perform, or do not separately measure, orders for work outside of the United States.

The industries reporting an increase in new export orders in April are: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Finance & Insurance; and Wholesale Trade. The industries reporting a decrease in export orders in April are: Management of Companies & Support Services; Other Services*; Transportation & Warehousing; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Public Administration; Retail Trade; and Accommodation & Food Services.

Imports

The ISM Non-Manufacturing Imports Index registered 50 percent in April. The index is 4.5 percentage points lower than March''s index of 54.5 percent. In April, 62 percent of respondents reported that they do not use, or do not track, the use of imported materials.

The industries reporting an increase in the use of imports in April are: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Other Services*; Finance & Insurance; and Retail Trade. The industries reporting a decrease in imports for the month of April are: Public Administration; Transportation & Warehousing; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; and Wholesale Trade.

Inventory Sentiment

The ISM Non-Manufacturing Inventory Sentiment Index increased 2.5 percentage points to 63 percent in April. This indicates a general feeling among non-manufacturing purchasing and supply executives that inventory levels are too high and that the feeling is more widespread than in March. In April, 28 percent of respondents felt their inventories were too high, 2 percent indicated their inventories were too low, and 70 percent said that their inventories were about right.

The industries reporting a feeling that their inventories are too high in April are: Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Management of Companies & Support Services; Accommodation & Food Services; Other Services*; Wholesale Trade; Retail Trade; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Health Care & Social Assistance; and Finance & Insurance. The one industry reporting that their inventories are too low is Public Administration.


Available at:

http://www.ism.ws/ISMReport/NonMfgROB.cfm