What is a Purchasing Managers Index? PMI explained

You may have heard of the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) in the media recently and questioned what it was. The index was used on Monday to show a slowing in China’s manufacturing sector and again on Wednesday when discussing the strength of the Canadian economy.

Here is a brief run down on exactly what the PMI is:

PMI is essentially a means for economists to understand economic activity in a particular area based on the outputs of its procurement departments.

The index is generated monthly by surveying purchasing managers activity across five key indicators. These being: new orders, inventory levels, production levels, supplier deliveries and employment environment.

Once the results have been collated, a PMI score is produced. A PMI of above 50 represents an expansion in economic activity over the previous month. Anything below 50 represents a contraction.

The PMI indicator is used extensively by economists because it is thought to be one of the most accurate leading (or predictive indicators) for the future health of the economy.