The performance of the US manufacturing economy improved again in June, though the pace of growth eased to a three-month low. Both output and new orders rose at slower, but still historically elevated, rates. Growth was commonly linked to new product launches, alongside some reports of pre-orders placed to protect against rising prices. Higher raw material costs drove another steep rise in input costs, albeit one that was softer than May’s recent high. Selling price inflation also eased, falling to a three-month low. Employment remained a weak point at the end of the second quarter. Job shedding was the fastest since ... (full story)