China’s November Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) was 49.4 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating that the market demand has declined. Among the five sub-indexes that make up the manufacturing PMI, the new orders index, the raw materials inventory index and the employment index are all lower than the critical level of 50 percent.
The raw materials inventory index for November stood at 48.0 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, indicating a decrease in stock levels for major raw materials. The employment index was 48.1 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating that the employment situation of the manufacturing companies has recovered slightly. Lianhe Zaobao, Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper, reported on the new PMI numbers, saying that the prosperity level in Chinese manufacturing is declining.
PMI is an indicator of financial activity reflecting purchasing managers’ acquisition of goods and services. A PMI number below 50 typically reflects a decline. China’s PMI numbers are jointly published by the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing and the China Bureau of Statistics.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, November 30, 2023
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20231130-1453217