from the WSJ:
The U.S. manufacturing sector continued to contract in August, while cost pressures jumped, according to data released Tuesday by the Institute for Supply Management. The weak factory sector may push the Federal Reserve to implement more policy accommodation.
The ISM's manufacturing purchasing managers' index slipped to 49.6 last month from 49.8 in July. The August reading was the lowest since July 2009 and marked the third consecutive contraction for the ISM index.
