---
title: "The Chicago PMI surged to 54 in January, entering the expansion zone for the first time in over two years"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/274335493.md"
description: "The Chicago PMI rose to 54 in January 2026, marking a return to expansion after 25 consecutive months of decline in economic activity. Employment and new orders increased significantly, reaching their highest levels since December 2024 and March 2022, respectively. Production, backlog orders, and inventory increased, supplier deliveries slowed, and prices paid fell to a one-year low"
datetime: "2026-01-30T15:24:40.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/274335493.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/274335493.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/274335493.md)
---

# The Chicago PMI surged to 54 in January, entering the expansion zone for the first time in over two years

The Chicago Business Barometer (also known as Chicago PMI) rose to 54 in January 2026, up from 42.7 the previous month, significantly above the market expectation of 44. This marks a return to expansion in Chicago's economic activity after 25 consecutive months of decline.

Employment increased by 17.5 points, reaching its highest level since December 2024, while new orders surged by 15.8 percentage points, reaching levels not seen since March 2022. Production, backlogs, and inventories increased, supplier deliveries slowed, and prices paid dropped by 9 points, reaching a one-year low

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