Housing Slowly Improves- Manufacturing Just Holding Its Own
The housing industry seems to be making slow but steady gains while manufacturing seems to be slowing. PMPA’s Business Trends Index for August is up 6 points to 117 from 111 in July, but shipments are at a level just 93% of same time last year. Our industry shows shipments up 4 % year to date. Our index is contrary to the Fed’s IP numbers for August. The Fed reported that Industrial Production fell 1.2% in August after having risen after having risen 0.5% in July. We see demand as holding on and our shops report that they continue to “hold their own.”