Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in November for the eighth consecutive month and the 24th time in the last 25 months, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®. “Our supplier has a positive outlook on the U.S. economy going into 2025. Our business is seeing an uptick in sales forecasts for the first quarter of 2025 versus the fourth quarter of 2024. Overall, our outlook for 2025 is optimistic,” says a respondent from a textile mills.