What is the name of the survey-based indicator that measures the economic health of the manufacturing sector in the United States?

The survey-based indicator that measures the economic health of the U.S. manufacturing sector is the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI).

The PMI is built from monthly surveys of purchasing and supply executives. In the United States, the Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing PMI tracks areas such as new orders, production, employment, supplier deliveries, inventories, and prices. Respondents generally report whether conditions improved, worsened, or stayed the same compared with the previous month.

A reading above 50 usually indicates manufacturing expansion, while a reading below 50 suggests contraction. The index is a diffusion index, so it does not measure the dollar value of factory output directly. That distinction separates it from the Industrial Production Index, which is based on actual production data, and Capacity Utilization, which measures how intensively factories are being used. Consumer Confidence Index surveys households rather than manufacturers.