The Chicago Business Barometer™, produced with MNI, inched up by 0.2 points to 43.8 in March. Despite increasing for the first time since December 2022, the headline index signaled a seventh consecutive month of contractionary business activity in March.

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The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, inched up by 0.2 points to 43.8 in March. Despite increasing for the first time since December 2022, the headline index signaled a seventh consecutive month of contractionary business activity in March.

New Orders and Supplier Deliveries declined in March, the latter recording the steepest fall since February 2022. All other sub-indexes increased in March. Barring Inventories and Prices Paid, all sub-indexes were in contractive territory. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, declined by a further 0.7 points in February to 43.6, the lowest since November ’22. The headline index signalled a sixth consecutive month of contractionary business activity.

Production, Employment and Prices Paid indicators declined over the month in February, with Production recording the steepest deterioration. New Orders, Order Backlogs, and Supplier Deliveries increased, whilst the Inventories subcomponent was little changed. All indicators ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, moderated by -0.8 points to 44.3 in January; the fifth consecutive month below 50. This follows a 7.2-point December rebound to signal a softer downturn.

• Production, Supplier Deliveries and Prices Paid increased over the month in January, with Production recording the strongest growth (albeit remaining below 50). All other subindexes weakened, led by a marked drop in Order Backlogs. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, increased by 7.7 points to 44.9 in December. This month’s recovery broke a three-month streak of falls, yet the index remained contractive for a fourth consecutive month.

The majority of sub-indexes improved over the month, led by Order Backlogs and New Orders whilst upticks in Production and Supplier Deliveries were more muted. Inventories, Employment and Prices Paid all weakened and only Order Backlogs, Supplier Deliveries and Prices Paid ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, tumbled a further eight points to 37.2 in November, contracting for a third consecutive month. Excluding the 2020 pandemic shock, this was the lowest reading since the 2008/09 Global Financial Crisis.

• After marginal improvements in October, only Employment and Inventories recorded November upticks. All other indexes saw marked declines. Production, New Orders and Order Backlogs fell further to June 2020 lows. Only Inventories and Prices Paid remained expansionary. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, dipped a further half-point to 45.2 in October, contracting for a second consecutive month.

• After the across-the-board September plunge, most indicators saw marginal improvements in October, whilst New Orders and Supplier Deliveries slipped further. Order Backlogs and Employment recorded stronger upticks (albeit remaining in contraction). ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, declined to a more than two-year low in September. The indicator tumbled by 6.5 points to 45.7, entering contraction territory for the first time since June 2020.

• All main indicators fell in September, with production, new orders, order backlogs, employment and supplier deliveries all weakening to Summer 2020 lows. The largest declines were recorded in employment, order backlogs and production sub-indices. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, all but stood still in August. The indicator inched up 0.1 points to 52.2, following the June/July slide which saw the Chicago Report™ fall to the lowest level since August 2020.

• The only sub-indicators to fall were employment and supplier deliveries, while prices paid was unchanged from the previous month. Supplier deliveries eased to the lowest level since July 2020 with just over a quarter of firms seeing deliveries slow. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, slid further in July, extending June’s decline. The indicator fell 3.9-points to 52.1, the lowest level since August 2020.

• All main indicators decreased except for prices paid and employment, the latter of which hit the highest level since October 2021. Production, New Orders, Order Backlogs and Supplier Deliveries are all back around 2020 levels. ...

Chicago Business Barometer Dips to 56.0 in June, following last month's recovery to 60.3. The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, tumbled to the lowest since August 2020 in June, giving back last month’s recovery. The indicator has been bouncing between readings in the mid-50s and low 60s since the beginning of the year, as ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, recovered to 60.3 in May, following last month’s dip to 56.4. Inventories saw a fresh near 50-year high. All main indicators increased except for supplier deliveries, which hit the lowest since November 2020.

• Production jumped 10 points in May, 0.4 points above the 12-month average. Firms cited China’s lockdowns causing material supply disruptions and a slowing of production; however, demand was strong. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, fell to 56.4 in April, reversing last month’s gain to 62.9.

• All main indicators decreased except for Prices Paid, with both Production and New Orders now at the lowest level since Summer 2020.
• New Orders saw the largest decline, dropping 10.8 points to 51.1, a post June-2020 low, with almost half of firms seeing no increase.
• ...

The Chicago Business Barometer™, produced with MNI, recovered to 62.9 in March, after last month’s dip to 56.3. Inventories reached levels not seen since 1973.All main indicators increased, with Inventories and New Orders seeing the largest boost. Only prices paid declined in March. Production improved to 60.0, still below the 12- month average ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, fell 8.9 points to 56.3 in February, weakening for the first time since November 2021. New Orders slowed, with almost a quarter of firms surveyed seeing a decline.

• All five of the main five indicators fell, with New Orders and Supplier Deliveries taking the largest hit. Only Inventories edged up over the month.
• In February, Production fell for the second consecutive month, dipping 5.2 points to 55.4, the lowest reading since ...

The Chicago purchasing managers' index (PMI), delivered a print of 65.2, indicating manufacturing expansion accelerated in the first month of 2022, rising from December's upwardly revised 64.3 and coming in well above the 61.7 consensus, which would have indicated a ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, rose to 63.1 in December, picking up again after last month’s decline. Inventories hit a four-year high as firms created buffers for longer lead times.

Among the main five indicators, Production and New Orders and were higher. Order Backlogs, Employment and Supplier Deliveries fell across the month. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, fell to 61.8 in November, the lowest reading since February, driven by a slow-down in new orders.

Among the five main indicators, Inventories saw the largest increase, followed by Production. All other indicators dropped compared to October, with Order Backlogs seeing the largest decline. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, rose to 68.4 in October, picking up after two consecutive months of decline. Among the main five indicators, four were higher, led by Order backlogs and Employment. Only Production fell across the month.

After the sharp September fall, Order Backlogs recovered more than half the loss, picking up 13.5 points index points. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, slipped to 64.7 in September, the lowest level since February.

Among the main five indicators, Order Backlogs saw the largest decline, followed by Supplier Deliveries and New Orders. Only Employment increased through the month. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, fell to 66.8 in August, the lowest reading since June after climbing to a two-month high in July. Order backlogs rose sharply while production sank. Firms say the available supply of raw materials and workers isn’t sufficient to keep up with ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, jumped to 73.4 in July, both a two-month high and the second highest pandemic-era reading. Demand is strong but firms remain concerned about supply chain disruptions and rising prices.

Among the main five indicators, Production saw the largest increase, followed by New Orders, while Supplier Deliveries remained unchanged. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, fell to 66.1 in June, a four-month low. Through Q2, the index surged 7.9 points to 71.1, its highest quarterly reading since Q4 1973.

Among the main five indicators, Order Backlogs saw the largest decline, with Supplier Deliveries posting the only gain. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, jumped to 75.2 in May, the highest level since November 1973. Demand provided a boost to business activity, but supply chain constraints remain.

Among the main five indicators, New Orders and Order Backlogs saw the largest gains, while Employment recorded the only decline. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, rose to 72.1 in April, the highest level since December 1983. The index gained 5.7 points, boosted by an influx of new business.

Among the main five indicators, Order Backlogs posted the largest increase, while Supplier Deliveries saw the biggest decline. ...

The Chicago Business Barometer TM, produced with MNI, rose to 66.3 in March, the highest level since July 2018. Through Q1 the index gained 4.4 points to 63.2, the strongest reading since Q3 2018.

Among the main five indicators, Production saw the largest gain, while Order Backlogs saw the biggest drop. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, rose 5.1 points to 63.8 in January. The index now stands at the highest level since July 2018, boosted by a pick-up in activity at the beginning of 2021.

Among the main five indicators, Production saw the largest monthly gain, followed by New Orders. Employment recorded the biggest decline. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, edged up to 59.5 in December. Through Q4 as a whole, business sentiment recovered further to 59.6, the strongest reading since Q4 2018.

Among the main five indicators, Employment saw the largest monthly gain, followed by Order Backlogs. New Orders recorded the biggest decline. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, slipped to 58.2 in November. The index now stands at the lowest level since August but remains in expansion.

Among the main five indicators, New Orders and Production posted the only declines, while Supplier Deliveries saw the largest gain. ...

The Chicago Business Barometer, produced with MNI, eased to 61.1 in October, edging lower after a sharp increase in September. However, it still marks the fourth consecutive reading above the 50-mark after sitting below it for a year.

Among the five main indicators, New Orders was the only category to show a monthly uptick, while Production recorded the largest decline. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, jumped to 62.4 in September, the highest level since December 2018, as business activity recovered across the board. Through Q3, business sentiment recovered sharply to 55.2, the strongest reading since Q1 2019.

All five main indicators saw monthly gains in September, with Production and New Orders leading the way. On a quarterly basis, Supplier Deliveries was the only category to see a decline. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, slipped to 51.2 in August. This was the second straight reading above the 50-mark after having sat below it for a full year, as firms stated that business activity picked up further in August.

Among the five main indicators, Order Backlogs was the only category to show a monthly decline, while Supplier Deliveries recorded the largest gain. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, rose to 51.9 in July, the highest level since May 2019. Business activity recovered following twelve consecutive months of readings below 50. Nevertheless, companies noted continued uncertainty amid the ongoing ...

The Chicago Business Barometer, produced with MNI, rose to 36.6 in June with business activity picking up as Covid-19 related shutdowns eased somewhat. Across Q2, business sentiment slipped 11.8 points to 34.8, hitting the lowest level since Q1 2009.

Among the main five indicators, Production and New Orders saw the largest monthly gains, while Supplier Deliveries and Employment faltered. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, fell to 32.3 in May, hitting the lowest level since March 1982, as business confidence cooled further amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Among the main five indicators, Order Backlogs and Supplier Deliveries saw the largest declines, while Employment edged marginally higher. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, fell 12.4 points in April to its lowest level since March 2009 as business confidence dipped sharply amid the current spread of COVID-19.

Among the main five indicators, New Orders and Production registered the steepest declines, while Supplier Deliveries surged. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, declined by 1.1 points in March, marking a ninth consecutive sub-50 reading. However, business sentiment rose marginally by 0.2 points to 46.6 in Q1.

Among the main five indicators, Production and New Orders saw the only monthly declines, while Supplier Deliveries recorded the largest gain. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, edged up 6.1 points in February to 49.0, the highest level since August 2019. The index moved closer to the 50-no-change-threshold, shifting the three-month average up to 46.7.

Among the main five indicators, Production and Supplier Deliveries showed the greatest gains, while Employment was the only one to decline. ...

The Chicago Business Barometer, produced with MNI, slipped to 42.9 in January, the lowest level since December 2015. After two straight months of gains, the index fell further into contraction, with the three month average falling to 45.9.

All five major components of the headline index saw a monthly decline, with Order Backlogs leading the way lower, followed by New Orders. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, rose 2.6 points in December, hitting a four-month high of 48.9.

Business sentiment dropped by 1.2 points to 46.2 in Q4, marking the lowest quarterly reading since Q2 2009. The index was below the 50-mark for the second successive quarter. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, rose 3.1 points in November, hitting a two-month high 46.3.

However, the index remains in contraction for the third month straight, resulting in a further fall of the 3-month average to 45.5. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, fell 3.9 points to 43.2 in October, the lowest level since December 2015.

The index slipped further into contraction with a second straight sub-50 reading. The survey points to further weakness in business activity, with the three month average falling further to 46.9. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, fell 3.3 points to 47.1 in September, following August’s rebound to 50.4.

Business confidence dropped below the 50-mark to 47.3 in Q3, leaving the index at the lowest level on a quarterly basis since Q3 2009. The index fell 4.9 points compared to the previous quarter. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, rose 6.0 points to 50.4 in August, up from 44.4 in July. The index had been in contractionary territory for two months before this month’s gain.

Only two of the Business Activity components saw a monthly decline, as Supplier Deliveries saw a sharp fall, dropping to 50.3 from July’s 55.6. ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, eased further to 44.4 in July from 49.7 last month, the second sub-50 reading in 30 months.

Four of the five components were in contraction territory this month, with only Supplier Deliveries above 50. ...

The MNI Chicago Business Barometer decreased by 4.5 points to 49.7 in June from 54.2 in May, marking the first sub-50 reading since January 2017.

Business confidence dipped significantly in Q2, with the Barometer averaging 52.2, down 13% on the previous quarter and almost 16% lower than Q2 2018. ...

The MNI Chicago Business Barometer increased by 1.6 points to 54.2 in May from 52.6 in April.

Despite the pick-up in sentiment, the survey points to softness in business activity, as indicated by the three-month average slipping to a two-year low. Furthermore, it is evident that business confidence in Q2 is going to be significantly weaker than Q1, which already was ...

The MNI Chicago Business Barometer fell 6.1 points to 52.6 in April, down from 58.7 in March to the lowest level since January 2017.

The weakness in the Barometer observed in Q1 continued into Q2, with the April fall led by four of the five Barometer components. ...

The MNI Chicago Business Barometer fell 6 points to 58.7 in March from 64.7, partially offsetting last month’s gain.

Looking at the three-month average provides a better guide this month to the underlying trend in the economy with activity a touch lower in Q1 than in Q4. The Barometer averaged 60.0 in Q1, down 3.5% on Q4 2018 and 3.3% on Q1 2018. ...

The MNI Chicago Business Barometer rose by 8 points to 64.7 in February, to the highest since December 2017. This month’s gain was last matched in February 2017 and surpassed only by the 12.5 points hike recorded in January 2016.

Optimism returned, with most Barometer components back at December 2018’s level after last month’s dip, indicating temporary factors at play in January. February’s increase was led by four of the five Barometer components, with only Supplier Deliveries receding. ...