Finishing Activity: ‘Slow and steady…’ Generally Describes April
April index stayed about the same at 59.6 (slowing down just two-thirds of a point vs. March)
The Gardner Business Index (GBI): Finishing expanded in April at a rate similar to March.
- The Finishing GBI picture is mostly consistent for the month, with all activity moving a bit further in the direction each was headed in March, which generally means expanding at slightly faster rates.
- Employment activity was the exception with a relatively big increase (compared to other activity in April) in the rate of expansion, registering not quite +2.5 points.
- Lengthened supply chain activity continued its slight deceleration, again heading in the direction of more typical values for this reading.
- Export activity is more stagnant than it is ‘slow and steady,’ April showing contraction at about the same rate as March, February and January.
The Gardner Business Index (GBI): Finishing
The reading for April was similar to March.
Key Component Activity
Lengthened supplier deliveries and faster employment activity combine for some ‘good news,’ at least for the near term.
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