The crisis for the U.S. manufacturing sector is far from over but the picture is finally looking brighter as activity shows signs of expansion. Manufacturing activity contracted in 2023, but the pace slowed as the year came to a close. The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing PMI rose to 47.4 in December after remaining unchanged in the prior two months at 46.7. Also, December’s growth in manufacturing activity came in higher than economists’ expectations of 47.1. Although any reading below ...