The Perc Report is released on the first business day of each month. It includes monthly highlights on the most recent economic and plastics industry data along with recent activities, articles, and blogs you may have missed.
Economic Data
The U.S. unemployment rate in November edged up to 4.6% from 4.4% in September, with 64,000 nonfarm payrolls added.
U.S. retail and food services sales for October totaled $732.6 billion, unchanged from September but up 3.5% from October a year earlier.
The Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate by another 25 basis points at its final meeting of 2025 on December 10, bringing the target range to 3.50%–3.75%.
The U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) rose at a 4.3% annual rate of in the third quarter, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, surpassing the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s GDPNow estimate of 3.5%.
The U.S. total business inventories-to-sales ratio flattened at 1.37 in the three months ending in September, the lowest level since its 1.41 peak over the past twelve months.
Plastics Demand Estimate
In August 2025, U.S. plastics demand decreased by 1.7% from the July estimate to $22.9 billion but was 1.4% higher than a year earlier.
To access the latest Plastics Demand Estimate, click here.
Plastics Industry Data
The plastics and rubber products manufacturing sector added 2,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate edged down to 2.3% from 2.4% in September. Overall manufacturing lost 5,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate stood at 3.3% in November.
The Industrial Production Index for plastics product manufacturing increased 1.4% in August and 0.8% in September. On a year-over-year basis, it was virtually unchanged in August and rose 1.9% in September.
The capacity utilization rate in plastics and rubber products manufacturing increased to 74.0% in August from 73.0% in July, and further to 74.3% in September.
Manufacturers’ work-in-process inventories in plastics and rubber products manufacturing increased 0.5% in September to $4.4 billion, up from August.
The Producer Price Index for plastic pipe and pipe fittings manufacturing continued its year-over-year decline that began in March 2023, falling 6.6% in September, despite a 0.2% month-over-month increase from August.
Access the most up-to-date data on the plastics industry
Recent light vehicle sales remain volatile but broadly supportive of plastics demand. After peaking in early 2025, sales eased modestly yet remain strong by pre-pandemic standards, led by plastics-intensive light trucks and SUVs. For plastics producers, this points to near-term demand stability, with sensitivity to interest rates and broader economic conditions.
