Production and employment activity continue to expand for precision machining in the U.S. but new order activity has contracted. PHOTO courtesy Okuma.
Precision Machining component activity in the U.S. was stable in April, according to Gardner Business Index.
Production activity continued to expand in April, at about the same amount as the previous month. Employment activity was also steady, reflecting the labour shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
New order activity, which was flat in March, contracted slightly in April. Backlogs contracted almost exactly the same in April as in March, likely a function of production chipping away at orders in queue plus contraction in new orders.
Supplier deliveries continued to lengthen at a slower rate, indicating demand is not so strong that suppliers can’t keep up with orders.
