The December 2017 result was down 1.1 than the previous month and it further builds on the recovery the sector has experienced over the year (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase).
Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said: "December marked the 15th consecutive month of expanding or stable conditions in the manufacturing sector and adds to the confidence and momentum that has been building over the past year. The healthy Australian PMI® reading of 56.2 is all the more impressive given the headwinds of the closure of auto assembly, high energy prices and growing skills shortages which have marked 2017. Manufacturers will be looking to the new year for the progress on the National Energy Guarantee and other measures to put downward pressure on business costs," Willox said.
Australian PMI®: Key Findings for December:
- All seven activity sub-indexes in the Australian PMI® expanded in December. Production, stocks (inventories) and supplier deliveries expanded at an accelerated pace while new orders, employment, exports and sales all moderated.
- Six of the eight manufacturing sub-sectors expanded in December (trend data*), led by the very large food & beverages sub-sector which recorded its highest monthly result since April 2016 (63.2 points). While still expanding, the non-metallic mineral products (55.7 points) and machinery & equipment (55.4 points) sub-sectors both recorded their lowest index results for 2017 in December, as did wood & paper products, which slipped 3.5 points to move back into contraction (47.2 points).
- The input prices sub-index dropped 5.6 points from November's six-year high to 70.8 points in December, while wages also fell from a five-year high, dropping 3.9 points to 60.2. In particular, manufacturers continue to report difficulties accommodating recently elevated energy costs.
- The selling prices sub-index ticked up by 0.8 points to 53.4 in December, signaling that some manufacturers have been able to pass on these cost increases to their customers.
