![\"Albert](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Loh_Albert_t850.jpg\" "\\"Albert")
<\/p>\nManufacturing activity continued to expand in the Jacksonville area in February but local manufacturers are uncertain about future growth, according to a monthly survey by the University of North Florida\u2019s Local Economic Indicators Project.<\/p>\n
A Purchasing Managers\u2019 Index derived from the survey of Northeast Florida manufacturers registered 52.4 for the second straight month in February, signaling modest expansion.<\/p>\n
A reading above 50 indicates expansion, and a number below 50 shows contraction. The PMI was below 50 for much of 2025.<\/p>\n
While manufacturers indicate activity has picked up this year, the survey\u2019s Business Activity Outlook dropped to 49, suggesting manufacturers on balance are slightly pessimistic about conditions over the next 12 months.<\/p>\n
UNF economist Albert Loh said comments from responders indicated some are seeing a bump up in demand but many are concerned about costs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Albert Loh<\/p>\n
\u201cInput prices were clearly rising, while output prices were flat, which suggests firms may be facing pressure on margins because they cannot fully pass higher costs on to customers,\u201d Loh said in his monthly report on the survey.<\/p>\n
\u201cRising new orders and expanding backlogs suggest that demand has not disappeared, and the increase in export orders is another encouraging sign for a trade-oriented market like Jacksonville,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time, firms appear to be staying active in purchasing inputs and holding materials, which usually reflects preparation for continued production.\u201d<\/p>\n
The survey\u2019s Employment Index continued to show contraction at 48 in February.<\/p>\n
That suggests \u201cfirms are reluctant to hire aggressively even while other activity measures are improving. That mix fits with broader worries about tariff-related cost increases, softer market conditions, recession risk, and policy uncertainty,\u201d Loh said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile Jacksonville\u2019s February PMI shows expansion and gives some reason for optimism, it is still an environment shaped by caution, cost pressure, and concern about whether growth can be sustained,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though the business activity outlook index slipped to 49, just below neutral, current conditions still show enough expansion to suggest the local economy has not stalled. In that sense, Jacksonville manufacturers seem to be moving forward, but carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n
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