Two reports about the nation’s manufacturing sector during April showed it continued expanding, though they differed in just how much activity increased overall. Another report indicated activity in the construction sector was volatile.
Economic activity in the nation’s manufacturing sector remained solid during March, while construction spending was nearly unchanged in February. The latest reports show the nation’s overall economic health was stronger in the final quarter of last year than earlier indications.
Manufacturing in the U.S. continued its hot streak in February, but there are questions following other data released earlier about the sector. Personal incomes and expenditures were up, and construction spending remained robust despite little change from the month before.
A measure of the U.S. manufacturing sector released Thursday is just one in a raft of new economic reports that showed 2018 began with a similar pace to that seen when 2017 wrapped up.
Two readings of the nation’s manufacturing sector showed solid increases in December with one showing the strongest growth in nearly three years while another report showed construction spending hit a record high.