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Of the 18 manufacturing industries, eight reported paying increased prices during the month of October in the following order: Furniture & Related Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Plastics & Rubber Products; Chemical Products; and Transportation Equipment. The four industries reporting paying lower prices during October are: Primary Metals; Machinery; Computer & Electronic Products; and Petroleum & Coal Products.

Backlog of Orders* ISM's Backlog of Orders Index registered 41.5 percent in October, which is 2.5 percentage points lower than the 44 percent reported in September. This is the seventh consecutive month of contraction in order backlogs. Of the 86 percent of respondents who reported their backlog of orders, 14 percent reported greater backlogs, 31 percent reported smaller backlogs, and 55 percent reported no change from September.

The two industries reporting increased order backlogs in October are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; and Furniture & Related Products. The 12 industries reporting decreases in order backlogs during October -- listed in order -- are: Machinery; Plastics & Rubber Products; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Paper Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Chemical Products; and Wood Products. ISM's New Export Orders Index registered 48 percent in October, which is 0.5 percentage point lower than the 48.5 percent reported in September. This month's reading represents the fifth month of contraction in the index since June 2009, when the index registered 49.5 percent. Prior to this current five-month period of contraction, the New Export Orders Index had registered 50 percent or above for the previous 35 consecutive months. Export Orders*

The five industries reporting growth in new export orders in October are: Wood Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Computer & Electronic Products. The eight industries reporting a decrease in new export orders during October -- listed in order -- are: Transportation Equipment; Chemical Products; Primary Metals; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Machinery; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Paper Products; and Apparel, Leather & Allied Products. Use of the data is in the public domain and should be compared to all other economic data sources when used in decision-making.

Data and Method of Presentation The Manufacturing ISM Report On Business((R)) is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives nationwide. Membership of the Manufacturing Business Survey Committee is diversified by NAICS, based on each industry's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). Manufacturing Business Survey Committee responses are divided into the following NAICS code categories: Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Textile Mills; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Paper Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Chemical Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; Computer & Electronic Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Transportation Equipment; Furniture & Related Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing (products such as medical equipment and supplies, jewelry, sporting goods, toys and office supplies).