Dec | Nov | Oct | Sep | Aug | Jul | Jun | May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

December 2006
NEMA’s monthly indicator of current North American business conditions declined for the second month in a row in December. The Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions dropped to 30 from 39.6 a month ago, and trailed the 50-point threshold indicative of industry expansion for a fifth straight month. An alternate gauge of the current situation, the mean degree of change in business conditions, also declined in December. It fell to -0.6 (on a scale from –5 [deteriorated significantly] through 0 [stayed the same] to +5 [improved significantly]) from -0.3 in November.  Full Report (131k)

November 2006
NEMA’s monthly indicators of both current and expected North American business conditions retreated slightly in November. The Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions declined to 39.6 from 44 in October, the fourth consecutive month in which the diffusion-style index failed to reach the 50-point threshold indicative of industry expansion. An alternate gauge of the current situation, the mean degree of change in business conditions, declined to -0.3 (on a scale from –5 [deteriorated significantly] through 0 [stayed the same] to +5 [improved significantly]) in November from -0.2 in October. Meanwhile, the EBCI for future North American conditions, a measure of executives’ expectations for conditions six months ahead, dipped to 33.3 from 35.4 last month. Full Report (124k)

October 2006
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions rebounded in October following five consecutive monthly declines. While the diffusion-style index, at 44 points, again fell short of the 50-point threshold indicative of sectoral expansion, these latest results suggest that the rate of deterioration in business conditions slowed appreciably during October relative to the prior month, in the judgement of a panel of senior executives of NEMA-member companies. Full Report (131k)

September 2006
On the heels of an extraordinarily strong burst of activity over the last 12 to 15 months, current North American business conditions declined for a second straight month in September, according to NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI). The index posted its fifth consecutive monthly decline, falling 10.2 points to a level of 36, below the 50-point threshold indicative of sectoral expansion. While the North American future conditions index also remained below 50, it rebounded to its highest level since June, rising nearly 9 points from a month ago to 26. Full Report (306k)

August 2006
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions declined for the fourth month in a row in August and, at 46.2, came to rest below the 50-point mark separating a reading indicative of sectoral expansion from one suggestive of contraction. Previously, the index had topped 50 points for 39 months in a row. At the same time, the future conditions index for North America posted its second straight monthly drop, and its fourth in the last five months, sliding to 17.3 from 23.2 in July. Full Report (294k)

July 2006
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions declined for the third month in a row in July, but nonetheless remained above the 50-point growth threshold for a 40th consecutive month. The current conditions index fell to 51.8 in July from the previous month’s reading of 53.6. Meanwhile, the index for future North American conditions slumped to 23.2, the lowest mark in its five year history, from a value of 27.8 in June. Full Report (304k)

June 2006
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions measured 53.6 in June, its 39th consecutive month above the 50-point threshold indicating conditions favorable to growth. Although the index declined on the month, the drop was a modest one of only 2.2 points from a reading of 55.8 in May. Meanwhile, the index for future North American conditions rose slightly from last month’s low water mark, climbing 0.9 points to 27.8. Full Report (306k)

May 2006
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index for current North American conditions stood at 55.8 in May. While representing a decline from readings in the high 60s posted in each of the three previous months, May’s result was strong nonetheless and reinforced a spate of recent data indicating that market conditions faced by electrical equipment manufacturers remain robust. Indeed, the index has now topped the 50-point growth threshold for 37 consecutive months. By contrast, the index for future North American conditions fell sharply to 26.9, reflecting the now widespread view that business conditions at year-end will be weaker to at least some degree than currently. Full Report (306k)

Special Report: Copper Market Volatility Survey
A survey of electrical manufacturing company executives revealed widespread concern regarding recent volatility in the copper commodities market and its effect on the electroindustry. Copper is widely used as an input for the manufacture of electrical products, and a recent surge in metal prices, including copper, has had an effect on business, according to 96 percent of the survey respondents. Full Report (33k)

April 2006
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American business conditions measured in the high 60s for the third straight month in April, indicating that industry sentiment has remained at a robust level for much of the first third of the year. Indeed, with April’s reading of 66.7 points, the monthly index has now topped the 50-point threshold without exception for three full years, a prolonged period of favorable conditions. Full Report (283k)

March 2006
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American business conditions continued to flash very positive signals in March. The index measured 66.1 points, nearly unchanged from February’s similarly robust reading. The EBCI for current North American conditions has now indicated electroindustry growth for 35 consecutive months. The index for future North American conditions climbed to 58.1 points in March, up more than 4 points from 53.6 in February. Full Report (301k)

February 2006
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index for current North American conditions posted a sharp increase in February, climbing to 68.5 points from 55.2 in January. The most recent month’s reading was the strongest since last September and the 34th in a row above the critical 50-point threshold indicative of favorable business conditions. At the same time, the January EBCI for future North American conditions slipped slightly to 53.6 points, down from 56.9 a month ago. Full Report (301k)

January 2006
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions continued to signal electroindustry expansion in January. At 55.2 points, the index topped the 50-point threshold—indicating a business environment favoring industry growth—for the 33rd month in a row. At the same time, the index has declined in each of the last four months, suggesting that conditions have moderated since reaching a near-term peak in late summer. The January EBCI for future North American conditions climbed slightly to 56.9 points, up from 56.3 a month ago. Full Report (287k)