FX.co ★ Chicago Business Activity Sinks in August

The Chicago Business Barometer fell sharply to 47.1 in August 2026 from 57.6 in July, well below market expectations of 58.3. This reading signals a renewed contraction in business activity and marks the steepest downturn since December 2025. New orders dropped significantly, falling 15.4 points, though they remained above April’s low. The production index declined by 8.8 points, entering contraction territory for the first time since last December and doing so by a considerable margin. Meanwhile, supplier delivery times eased by 2.6 points but continued to signal expansion for the 19th consecutive month.