“U.S. manufacturing activity growth slowed slightly in June as the pace of hiring and overseas demand weakened, making the second quarter the weakest for the sector in the last four, a survey showed.
Financial data firm Markit said its “flash,” or preliminary, U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index fell to 52.2 in June from 52.3. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.
June’s 52.2 reading was also the average for the second quarter, behind the 54.9 average in the first three months of the year and the worst showing since the third quarter of 2012.
“Slower growth in the goods-producing sector looks likely to have acted as a drag on the wider economy,” said Markit chief economist Chris Williamson. The U.S. economy grew at a 2.4 percent rate between January and March.
Markit’s output index rose to 53.9, a three-month high, from 52.7 in May while the gauge of new orders also rose to its highest level since March, offering some hope. But the pace of hiring slowed to 50.4 from 52.6, reflecting the weakest rate of job creation since January 2010….”
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