Wall Street Journal (06/02/14) Brenda Cronin; Kathleen Madigan

American factories increased production in the second quarter, adding strength to the uneven global recovery, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index. Manufacturing activity increased to 55.4 in May, up from 54.9 in April, marking the fourth consecutive month of improvement. Readings above 50 indicate expansion.

Meanwhile, the production index rose to 61.0 in May from 55.7 in April, the highest reading since December. The new orders index climbed to 56.9 from 55.1, a five-month high. The employment index declined to 52.8 from 54.7, but remains high enough to suggest an increase in factory jobs.