Chicago Business Barometer™ & Research

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.

June - Chicago Business Barometer^™

The Chicago Business Barometer^™ fell 0.1 points to 40.4 in June. The index is now 7.2 points below March's year-to-date high of 47.6 has now been below 50 for nineteen consecutive months.

The slight decrease was driven by a fall in Suppliers Deliveries, Production, Employment and Order Backlogs. This was almost fully offset by a rise in New Orders.

June special question asked: "How do you see your business activity growing in the second half of 2025, by percent?. Majority 45% answered "0-5%". 28% responded "No Growth", with 17% of respondents reporting "Decline". Balance 10% reported between "5-10%" and "10%+".

Released June 30, 2025.

Read the Press Release

What CEOs Can Learn From Fred Smith's Extraordinary Leadership

5 leadership lessons from FedEx founder Fred Smith

FedEx founder Fred Smith leadership was defined by a bold vision for the future and an unwavering focus on disciplined execution. Rather than relying solely on instint, Smith, who passed away on June 21, achieved ambitious growth through strategic planning, operational rigor and a commitment to learning from history.

Full Story: Chief Executive (06/27)

Strategies for Supply Chain Resiliency amidst Tariff Uncertainty

Play the interview or read the script.

Discover strategies and insights into navigating tariff uncertainty and how to strenghten supply chains amidst ever-changing policies in a conversation with Arena partner, Instrumental.

Full Story: Arena Solutions (June/25)

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