United States Business Confidence

Business Confidence in the United States decreased to 50.70 in April of 2013 from 51.30 in March of 2013. Business Confidence in the United States is reported by the Institute for Supply Management. Historically, from 1948 until 2013, the United States Business Confidence averaged 52.73 reaching an all time high of 77.50 in July of 1950 and a record low of 29.40 in May of 1980. The Manufacturing ISM Report On Business® is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives nationwide. Survey responses reflect the change, if any, in the current month compared to the previous month. For each of the indicators measured (New Orders, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, Imports, Production, Supplier Deliveries, Inventories, Customers' Inventories, Employment and Prices), the report shows the percentage reporting each response, the net difference between the number of responses in the positive economic direction and the negative economic direction, and the diffusion index. A PMI™ reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally declining. A PMI™ in excess of 42.6 percent, over a period of time, indicates that the overall economy, or GDP, is generally expanding; below 42.6 percent, it is generally declining. This page includes a chart with historical data for the United States Business Confidence.