Inland manufacturing rebounds

The Inland Empire’s steep drop in manufacturing in June was apparently an aberration, not the start of a bad trend.

The region’s purchasing managers index in June was 56.9, a strong rebound from the 50 recorded in May according to the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State San Bernardino.

July was the seventh month the index was at or above 50, the threshold that determines whether Inland manufacturing is expanding or contracting. Three consecutive months in either direction establishes a trend.

“The July rebound indicates that the June weakness was a temporary fluctuation, and that the Inland Empire’s manufacturing expansion remains intact,” the report states. “While more volatile than the national index, the region has consistently outperformed the U.S. average since January 2025.”

Production and new orders were up last month, employment remained stable and prices rose slightly. Twenty percent of the purchasing managers surveyed said they expect the Inland economy to get stronger during the next three months, 20 percent said they expect it to weaken and 60 percent said they expect it to remain the same, according to the index.