The six month run of NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Conditions Index (EBCI) scoring 50 or higher has ended with September’s result of 47.1. Dropping below 50 suggests that current conditions are no longer conducive for expansion in the electrical manufacturing sector. Only 24% of respondents reported better conditions in September, versus 33% last month. The share of respondents reporting worse conditions nearly doubled from 17% in August to 29% this month, while the proportion of panel members who noted unchanged conditions showed little movement—47% this time compared to 50% last month.

NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Conditions Index (EBCI) for current conditions in North America slipped for the second straight month in December, falling to 52.8 from 53.1 in November, but continued to point to improvement in the business environment by remaining above the 50-point mark. Confidence in future business conditions was slightly more widespread in December compared to November. The EBCI for North American conditions six months hence edged upward to 83.3 from 81.3 in October.