Golden Finance reported that the U.S. ISM manufacturing PMI rose for the second consecutive month in December last year, with orders and production both picking up, indicating that the dark clouds hanging over the manufacturing industry may begin to dissipate. A pickup in demand helped deliver the first monthly increase in output since May, according to output measures. At the same time, surveys show that more manufacturers are cutting jobs at a faster pace. The employment index fell to 45.3 in December, a drop of nearly 3 points, the largest since July last year. Of the five indicators that make up the overall PMI index, the remaining indicators improved. Timothy Fiore, chairman of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said: "Demand improved, production execution met November performance and corporate targets; layoffs continue but should end soon, and price increases are minimal."