In August, the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing index fell 3.2 points from July to a reading of 49.4. The index fell below the 50 threshold for expansion for the first time since February of this year. The new orders and production subindices both fell below expansionary territory for the first time since December 2015, while the employment subindex remained below the threshold for the second month in a row at 48.3.
