【US December ISM Manufacturing PMI Slightly Rises】Golden Finance reports that the US December ISM Manufacturing PMI rose for the second consecutive month in December, with both orders and production rebounding, indicating that the clouds hanging over the manufacturing sector may begin to clear. According to output indicators, the rebound in demand helped achieve the first month of production growth since May. Meanwhile, surveys show that more producers are laying off workers at a faster pace. The employment index fell to 45.3 in December, a drop of nearly 3 points, marking the largest decline since July of last year. Among the five indicators that make up the overall PMI index, all other indicators improved. ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee Chair Timothy Fiore stated, “Demand is improving, production performance has reached the levels of November and corporate targets; layoffs are still ongoing but should end soon, and price increases are minimal.”