PPI for Manufacturing: 252.9 in Jan 2026
The manufacturing ppi moved to 252.9 in Jan 2026, up 1.10 from 251.8 in Dec 2025. Year-over-year, the reading is up 4.25 from 248.7.
Manufacturing PPI - Historical Chart
Producer Price Index by Industry: Total Manufacturing Industries. Gray shaded areas indicate U.S. recessions.
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Series PCUOMFGOMFG. Shaded areas = NBER recession dates. Updated 2026-03-10.
What the Jan 2026 Data Shows
At 252.9, the manufacturing ppi in Jan 2026 is above the 10-year average of 217.6 by 35.29. The reading has been mixed recently, fluctuating without a clear directional trend over the past 6 months.
The PPI for total manufacturing (FRED series PCUOMFGOMFG) aggregates price changes across all manufacturing subsectors: food processing, petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, metals and fabrication, machinery, electronics, transportation equipment, and more.
Manufacturing prices surged during the supply chain crisis of 2021-2022 as input shortages, energy costs, and labor tightness drove factory prices higher. The subsequent normalization has been uneven: some sectors (metals, chemicals) deflated while others (food processing, transportation equipment) remain elevated.
Monthly data from BLS, industry-based PPI program (NAICS sector 31-33).
What This Metric Measures
This page tracks the Producer Price Index for total manufacturing, tracking price changes for the output of all manufacturing industries including food, chemicals, metals, machinery, electronics, and transportation equipment. The data comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database, series PCUOMFGOMFG, updated monthly.
Historical Context
The all-time peak was 262.4 in Jun 2022. The all-time trough was 97.4 in Aug 1986. During COVID-19 in 2020, the reading hit 196.7 (Dec 2020). Year-over-year, the metric has moved 1.7%.
Why It Matters
Any equipment purchase, vehicle acquisition, or inventory order is priced off manufacturing PPI trends. If you are planning a capital expenditure financed with a business loan, the timing relative to manufacturing PPI cycles matters. Buying during a PPI decline means lower equipment costs and a smaller loan. Buying during a PPI surge means overpaying for assets that may depreciate back to trend value.
What This Means for Business Owners
Understanding where this metric stands relative to historical norms helps business owners make better borrowing decisions. Metrics far from their 10-year average often signal turning points that affect the cost and availability of credit.
PPI for Manufacturing - Frequently Asked Questions
The PPI for total manufacturing is 252.91 as of Jan 2026, per FRED series PCUOMFGOMFG. It measures price changes at the factory gate across all manufacturing industries. Base period varies by subsector.
Manufacturing prices are upstream of retail. Increases flow through to wholesale and retail with a lag of 1-4 months, depending on the product and how many distribution stages exist between factory and consumer.
Petroleum refining and metals manufacturing are the most volatile, driven by commodity price swings. Food manufacturing is moderately volatile. Electronics manufacturing has historically seen price declines due to technology improvements.
Supply constraints create bidding wars for scarce inputs, which drive factory prices higher. The 2021-2022 semiconductor shortage pushed vehicle manufacturing prices up 20%+. Container shipping costs quadrupled, adding to input costs for any manufacturer using imported components.
Yes. Manufacturing PPI changes typically lead CPI changes for goods by 1-3 months. It is less useful for predicting service-sector inflation because services are driven more by labor costs than input prices.
FRED series PCUOMFGOMFG from the Bureau of Labor Statistics industry-based PPI program. Monthly. Covers NAICS sectors 31-33 (Manufacturing). Based on price surveys of manufacturing establishments.
Related Data & Guides
Data sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Updated monthly when new data is released.