April U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $372.50 million, according to AMT-The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was down 26.6 percent from March and down 12.6 percent when compared with the total of $426.44 million reported for April 2012. With a year-to-date total of $1,650.91 million, 2013 is down 7.0 percent compared with 2012.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program.

“Order totals leveled off to the averages we’ve seen so far this year, but they aren’t out of line with analyst predictions,” says Douglas K. Woods, AMT president. “Likewise, the Purchasing Manager’s Index recently dropped below 50 – indicating contraction within manufacturing – but hiring continued to expand throughout the industry. With auto sales strong, the housing industry showing signs of a true rebound, and consumer confidence on the rise, we expect to continue seeing steady but slower activity.”

The United States Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report, compiled by the trade association representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology orders provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.