The Institute of Supply Management's business activity index for manufacturing grew by more than two percentage points in April, further evidence that this sector of the U.S. economy, according to Daniel J. Meckstroth, "is continuing to experience healthy growth."
But it isn't the only place where manufacturing is growing, stresses Meckstroth, chief economist for the Arlington, Va.-based Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, a business and public policy research group. "Manufacturing activity in developing Asia is growing very fast, but now even the industrialized countries of Western Europe and Japan are posting moderate manufacturing growth."
