Chicago-area business activity expanded at a much slower rate in the month of May, according to a report released by the Institute for Supply Management - Chicago on Thursday, with the business barometer falling to its lowest level in well over two years.
The report showed that the Chicago business barometer fell to 52.7 in May from 56.2 in April, although a reading above 50 still indicates growth. Economists had been expecting the business barometer to show a much more modest decrease to a reading of 56.1.
With the much bigger than expected decrease, the Chicago business barometer fell for the third straight month and hit its lowest level since September of 2009.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.