January 2026
Missouri’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for January 2026 increased to a region high of 57.9 from 55.8 in December, well in expansion territory. For the fourth time in the past five months, the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region stretching from Minnesota to Arkansas, moved below growth neutral. It measures such factors as new orders, production, supplier delivery times, backlogs, inventories, prices, employment, import orders and exports. Typically, a score greater than 50 indicates an expansionary economy while a score below 50 forecasts a sluggish economy.
The US January 2026 PMI® for manufacturing registered 52.6, up 4.7 from December.
Note: The national purchasing manager's indices are produced by the Institute for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasing Management Association.