The latest report by IHS Markit revealed on Thursday the seasonally adjusted IHS Markit final U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index(PMI) came in at 53.2 in September, up marginally from 53.1 in August, but down slightly from the “flash” figure of 53.5. Still, the September reading pointed to the strongest growth in factory activity since January 2019.

According to the report, overall growth was underpinned by a faster expansion in production and a solid increase in new orders. As a result, firms continued to broaden their workforce numbers, as hiring rose following further upward pressure on capacity. Meanwhile, cost burdens grew sharply once again, with selling prices increasing at the fastest rate since January 2019.