"A record uptick in pre-production inventory holdings suggests firms are gearing up for another busy quarter while a rise in backlogs could see job creation continue," Patel added. The measure of pre-production inventories rose to the highest in data going back to October 2010 at 54.4 from 52.3 in May, while the backlogs of work index was above 50 for the 11th straight month. Difficulty sourcing skilled workers and material shortages were reported by firms as factors delaying production, IHS Markit said.