ISM's Employment Index registered 52% in July 2012, which is 4.6 percentage points lower than the 56.6% reported in June 2012. This is the 34th consecutive month of growth in the Employment Index.
An Employment Index above 50.5%, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics data on manufacturing employment.
Of the 18 manufacturing industries, nine reported growth in employment in July 2012 in the following order: Petroleum & Coal Products; Primary Metals; Furniture & Related Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Machinery; Fabricated Metal Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Chemical Products and Computer & Electronic Products.
The four industries reporting a decrease in employment in July 2012 are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Paper Products and Transportation Equipment.
| Employment | % Higher | % Same | % Lower | Net | Index |
| Jul '12 | 20 | 65 | 15 | 5 | 52 |
| Jun '12 | 29 | 57 | 14 | 15 | 56.6 |
| May '12 | 30 | 59 | 11 | 19 | 56.9 |
| Apr '12 | 34 | 54 | 12 | 22 | 57.3 |
Source - Institute for Supply Management
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