Georgia Manufacturing Shows Strength, Still Room for Improvement

By Jim Burress

Atlanta, GA – Each month, the Econometrics Center at Kennesaw State University compiles the “Purchasing Managers Index” report. It's a gauge of manufacturing vitality.

For July, Georgia's PMI Report suggests the manufacturing sector is still contracting. That's the bad news. But the good news, according to Kennesaw State's Don Sabbarese, is that manufacturing is contracting a much slower pace than even one month ago.

“We're looking for sustainability here,” says Sabbarese. “And if we continue to see the range that we're in now, we think the level we're at now is sustainable.”

Sabbarese says he's concerned that regional employment is not yet improving, but says that generally trails in a typical business cycle.

He predicts several more months of localized job losses, but says indicators show the overall economy may have bottomed out.

Jim Burress, WABE News.