Chicago Business Barometer & Research

Monthly Survey - Chicago Business Barometer 

The ISM Chicago Business Survey, is a regional view of the national economy; is a time-tested, market-moving report.  The Chicago Report is available to subscribers on the last working day each month.   The Chicago Business Barometer summarizes  current Business Activity.  The Barometer is considered to be a leading indicator of the U.S.A. economy.

For more than seven decades, the Chicago Business Barometer has been providing leading insight on the U.S. economy.  The Chicago Business Barometer is delivered to subscribers via the MNI Chicago Report, a monthly report published by MNI Indicators that presents valuable information on the U.S. economic activity and a fresh look at current U.S. business conditions.  The report consists of seven Business Activity indicators and three Buying Policy indicators that represent activity and preformance levels compared to the prior month.

Purchasing and Supply Management professionals in the Chicago area, primarily members of ISM Chicago, are polled to assess business conditions for their respective companies every month.

For more information about the Chicago Business Barometer and MNI Indicators products, please contact martindanielb@yahoo.com.

Periodically, ISM Chicago may invite our members and community to participate in additional research. 

 


 

September - Chicago Business Barometer

 

The Chicago Business Barometer fell 0.9 points to 40.6 in September.  The index now sits 0.2 points  above the June reading, having now almost fully unwound July's 6.7 point rise.  The index still has been below 50 for twenty-two consecutive months.         

The decline was driven by another sharp drop in New Orders, alongside declines in Supplier Deliveries and Employment.  These dynamics were partly offset by a rises in Production and Order Backlogs.    

September special question asked: "Given the risen increases in U.S. borrowing costs, how have changing financial conditions affected your suppliers or clients?  Majority 46% answered "No noticeable impact", and 18% answered "Reducing or exiting borrowing due to higher interest costs.  See report for balance.     

Released September 30, 2025. 

    

Read the Press Release


 

Handle the Corporate Heat Like an Actual Firefighter  

Manage a corporate crisis   

While business leaders frequently describe their work as "fighting fires," they often allow confusion around roles, lack of planning and poor communication to exacerbate problems, writes Melissa Swift, the founder and CEO of Anthrome Insight. In contrast, firefighters manage dangerous situations with clear plans, defined roles, mastery of their tools and relentless communication. Swift argues that adopting these organized firefighting principles can help corporate teams bring order to their own chaos and respond to emergencies with greater effectiveness.       

Full Story: MIT Sloan Management Review (10/09)

  

View Article

 

 

 

CFOs vs. CPOs: Why they clash and how to bridge the gap  

Procurement leaders are tasked with driving resilience, sustainability, and innovation-but CFOs often see only tactical cost control.  Bridging this perception gap starts with shared language, aligned KPIs, and financial storytelling that ties procurement directly to enterprise value.     

Full Story: Supply Chain Management Review (09/17) 

View Article

Special Question - July

A special question in July asked: "How are macroeconomic pressures affecting your procurement decisions?  (Select all that apply)

See breakout of responses in graph.