Both ISM Employment Gauges Above 50: Manufacturing Hits 52.8% in July, Services at 51.2% in June

ISM's Manufacturing Employment Index registered 52.8 percent in July 2026 — up 3.1 points from June's 49.7 and its highest since August. With Services Employment at 51.2 percent in June, both gauges now sit above 50, the expansion threshold. Manufacturing often leads cyclical turns, so its shift higher raises the odds that services hiring follows through in the next report.