WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. manufacturing activity in September expands at the fastest pace since May 2004, giving support to the economic growth in the third quarter of this year.
The manufacturing index, also known as the purchasing managers index (PMI), registered 60.8, up from the August's reading of 58.8, and the highest since May 2004, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said in a report on Monday.
A reading above 50 indicates the sector is generally expanding, while a reading below that level indicates contraction.
The new orders index increased 4.3 points from the previous month to 64.6; production index rose 1.2 points to 62.2, and the employment index also moved up 0.4 point to 60.3.
Of the 18 manufacturing industries, only furniture industry reported contraction in September.
Companies surveyed said business conditions continued expanding, according to the report. They expected strong demand would continue in the future.
