NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The manufacturing sector expanded for the 14th straight month in September, but at a slower pace than the previous month, said a purchasing managers group Friday.
The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index slipped to 54.4 in September, from 56.3 in August. The amount fell short of the 54.8 reading expected in a Briefing.com consensus of economists.
While any reading above 50 signals growth, the index has slipped in recent months and the slowdown has worried some.
"The manufacturing recovery has clearly lost a lot of momentum since the spring," wrote Paul Ashworth, a senior economist at Capital Economics, in a note to clients.
Pointing out that new orders were down to a 15-month low, Ashworth characterized the growth as "tepid." He said that economists, who put a premium on the number of new orders, will be "pretty disappointed" by the report.
Economists' reactions will stem from a decrease in several key measurements. ISM reported drops in new orders, production, employment and supplier deliveries.
"But it's not a disaster," Ashworth said, noting that the report is consistent with GDP growth of more than 3%. 
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