Chicago Manufacturing Activity Falls

Manufacturing activity in the Chicago area fell in May, the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago said Tuesday.  

The group’s business barometer dropped to 56.6 this month, the lowest since November 2009, from 67.6 in April. Readings over 50 signal expansion.

Economists had forecast the gauge would fall to 62, Bloomberg reported.

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