TEMPE, AZ — Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in May for the 10th consecutive month, says the Institute for Supply Management. The PMI for May was 59.7%, a drop of 70 basis points.

A reading above 50% indicates the manufacturing economy is generally expanding.

New orders were flat at 65.7%, and production was down 30 basis points to 66.6%. Inventories dropped 3.8 percentage points to 45.6%, while customer inventories dropped 1 percentage point to 32%. Backlogs were up 2 percentage points to 59.5%.

“The manufacturing sector grew for the 10th consecutive month during May. The rate of growth as indicated by the PMI is driven by continued strength in new orders and production. Employment continues to grow, as manufacturers have added to payrolls for six consecutive months. The recovery continues to broaden, as 16 of 18 industries report growth. There are a number of reports, particularly in the tech sector, of shortages of components; this is the result of excessive inventory de-stocking during the downturn,” said ISM spokesperson Norbert J. Ore.

The overall economy grew for the 13th consecutive month.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UK – The Smart Group will hold a two-day technical conference Oct. 6 and 7 at the Oxfordshire GC Business Centre.

The event addresses the supply chain, informs about the latest research projects, and explores whether manufacturing standards improve the industry.

Other topics include production control, chemistry, what’s happening with RoHS and REACH, cleaning, tin whiskers and component tinning practices.

The full program and a list of exhibitors will be announced soon.

The conference is timed with the organization’s 26th anniversary.