U.S. April ISM manufacturing index 57.3% vs 55.2% in March

Worst economy since......

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Factory activity in the United States accelerated in April, the Institute for Supply Management reported Monday. The ISM index rose to 57.3% in April from 55.2% in March. The rise was larger than expected. The consensus forecast of estimates collected by Marketwatch was for the index to inch higher to 55.3%. Readings above 50 indicate expansion. New orders slipped to 57.6% in April from 58.4% in March, but production soared to 60.4 from 57.5. The price index jumped to 71.5% from 66.5%.

And concerning wages.....

Incomes, the fuel for future spending, advanced by 0.8 percent in March. That was up from a 0.3 percent increase in February and marked the largest gain since September.