WASHINGTON—American factories grew in December 2020 at the fastest pace in more than two years as manufacturing continued to weather the pandemic better than the battered services sector.
The Institute for Supply Management reported Jan. 5 that its gauge of manufacturing activity rose to 60.7 percent last month, the highest reading since it stood at 60.8 in August 2018. The gauge was up 3.2 percentage points from a November level of 57.5.
