Chemicals Flash U.S. Economic Slump Warning: Chart of the Day
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Slowing production of chemicals from caustic soda to polyvinyl chloride is signaling a drop in U.S. industrial output and greater risk that the economy may slip back into a recession, American Chemistry Council data show.
The CHART OF THE DAY shows the Chemical Activity Barometer trailing behind the Federal Reserve’s Industrial Production index by the most since March 2009, when the U.S. was still in the longest and deepest recession since the Great Depression. The gauge tracks chemical production and prices, hours worked at producers, manufacturing output, building permits, and share prices for companies including Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co.