Manufacturing Technology Orders Level Off For April
April U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $372.50 million according to AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was down 26.6% from March and down 12.6% when compared with the total of $426.44 million reported for April 2012. With a year-to-date total of $1.650.91 billion, 2013 is down 7.0% compared with 2012.These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program.
“Order totals leveled off to the averages we’ve seen so far this year, but they aren’t out of line with analyst predictions,” said Douglas K. Woods, AMT president. “Likewise, the Purchasing Manager’s Index recently dropped below 50 – indicating contraction within manufacturing – but hiring continued to expand throughout the industry. With auto sales strong, the housing industry showing signs of a true rebound, and consumer confidence on the rise, we expect to continue seeing steady but slower activity.”