Estados Unidos PMI Chicago

The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI, surged 6.0 points to 45.5 in February 2025, up from 39.5 in January and exceeding market expectations of 40.6. While the index marked its 15th consecutive month of contraction, the decline was the mildest since September 2024. Gains in four of five key subcomponents drove the improvement: Production (+7.6 points, highest since June 2024), New Orders (+5.0 points, highest since November 2023), Supplier Deliveries (+9.5 points), and Order Backlogs (+5.2 points). However, Employment dropped 1.5 points to its lowest level since June 2020, with nearly 40% of respondents reporting workforce reductions, the highest share since mid-2009. Meanwhile, the Prices Paid sub-index soared 16.9 points, the steepest monthly increase since July 1957, reaching its highest level since August 2022.