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.
The Chicago Business Barometer™ climbed 13.5 points to 62.7 in May. The Barometer is now at its highest since January 2022, and back in expansionary territory after one month below the neutral 50 mark. This was the joint second largest monthly increase in the Barometer since its inception in February 1967 (only July 2020 saw a bigger monthly jump).
The rise was driven by increases in New Orders, Production, Order Backlogs and Supplier Deliveries. A decline in Employment provided some marginal offset.
Read Press report for full details.
Released May 29, 2026.
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Advocates
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