Missouri has continued its nearly three years of continuous growth in the Purchasing Managers Index, or PMI – a measurement of economic factors such as new orders, employment, imports and exports, and backlogs, among other things. November’s number climbed to 63.2. Anything above 50 is considered an indicator of economic growth. And State Economic Development Director Kelvin Simmons says it’s important for our number to look better than neighboring states’ numbers. Simmons adds since his department likes to use these numbers to help attract in companies, it’s important that Missouri continue to look competitive with those states. Strong exports are seen as one of the reasons for Missouri’s good numbers.
