Manufacturing activity in the Midwest strengthened in April, according to a survey of supply managers, reported in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Business Conditions Index for Minnesota and a nine-state region climbed to 60 from 58.6 in March. (Above 50 indicates expansion.)
“Despite higher energy prices, manufacturers, particularly those tied to international markets and agriculture, expanded "briskly" for the month, said Ernie Goss, a professor of economics at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., who conducts the survey. In Minnesota, as in past months, durable goods manufacturers such as metal producers are growing, even as nondurable producers, such as food processors, are registering no growth.”
For the state, the index climbed to 61 from March's 56.7. In addition to upturns in hiring, manufacturers and non-manufacturers are increasing the hours their employees are working, Goss said.
