Manufacturing activity rebounds in May, according to the PMI

On July 1, 2026, Sin Comillas reports that Puerto Rico's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 52.4 in May, according to data from the Institute of Statistics. Luisa García Pelatti bylines the note. In April, she writes, the index sat below 50. If the index stays above 50, it suggests an expansion of the manufacturing sector relative to the prior month; if it is below, it suggests contraction. That reading rule is the Institute's via Sin Comillas. This magazine does not recalculate the index.

The production, new-orders, and inventories subindexes rose in May relative to the prior month. All the subindexes, according to the outlet, were at or above 50. The index has been above the 50 level during 119 of the last 193 months. The PMI is based on answers to questionnaires sent periodically to purchasing professionals and executives at the largest manufacturing firms. Sin Comillas does not publish the sample or a plant-by-plant breakdown here. The 52.4, the contrast with April, and the 119-of-193 series stand.

A one-month PMI above 50 is not used to contradict other activity series. On July 17, 2026, the same Sin Comillas reported that Puerto Rico's economy had accumulated six consecutive months of contraction in the local activity index. On July 10, NotiCel headlined "Job losses are widespread." Those are other dates, other indicators, and other URLs. The May PMI does not cancel the IAE or the employment survey. They are not averaged.

This manufacturing rebound is also not tied to the $635 million surplus that Ey Boricua covered on the same July 1, nor to the 10,376,237 infractions in the DTOP amnesty. An industrial purchasing index, a budget veto, and a ticket collection are three facts. This note covers the PMI. The reader who wants the Institute of Statistics brief has the Sin Comillas URL at the foot.

Source: Sin Comillas. https://sincomillas.com/repunta-la-actividad-en-la-manufactura-en-mayo/