Economy

Empire State Index Nears Three-Year High

August 15, 2017

Manufacturing activity jumped sharply in New York State in August. The general business index of the Empire State Manufacturing Survey leapt 15.4 points to 25.2, its highest reading since September 2014.

The new orders index rose seven points to 20.6 and shipments gained nearly two points for a reading of 12.4. Delivery times increased slightly, while unfilled orders remained steady. The inventories index dropped 5.5 points from July to -3.1 indicating another reduction in stocks.

Input prices escalated at a faster rate, adding 9.7 points to the index for a reading of 31.0. Selling prices expanded at a slower pace in August, sinking from an index reading of 11.0 in July to 6.2 this month.

Firms reported a modest increase in employment levels and workweek length.

New York manufacturers were very optimistic about business conditions in the next six months. Improvement was seen across most components of the future business conditions index, which jumped 10 points to register 45.2. Future order and shipment indexes expanded to 41.3 and 42.7, respectively.

Capital expenditures and technology spending remained at growth levels, but declined from July’s forecast.

Below is a graph showing the history of the Empire State Manufacturing Index. You will need to view the graph on our website to use its interactive features, you can do so by clicking here. If you need assistance logging into or navigating the website, please contact our office at 800-432-3475 or info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.