Chicago Business Index Shows Growth Slowed in April

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n index of Chicago-area business declined in April from the highest level in more than 16 years, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Friday.

NAPM’s business barometer dropped to 65.6 from 69.2 in March, the group said. The drop was not as low as economists’ forecasts of 62.5, Bloomberg reported.

The Chicago area is a center of U.S. manufacturing, which is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.

Readings above 50 signal expansion and the March level was the 24th consecutive month of continued growth in the region.