December 2017 New York Fed Empire manufacturing
- New York Empire manufacturing index 18.0 versus 18.7
- prior month remains at 19.4
- employment index 5.1 versus 11.5 in November
- new orders 19.5 versus 20.7 in November
- prices paid 29.7 versus 24.6 in November
- six month business condition index 46.6 in December versus 49.9 in November
A slip in the index for December (and the components), but still near higher levels (see chart above).
From the NY Fed:
"The new orders index and the shipments index both showed sustained strong gains, with the former holding steady at 19.5 and the latter edging up to 22.4. Delivery times were slightly longer than last month, and inventory levels were stable. Labor market indicators pointed to a small increase in employment but no change in hours worked. Both input prices and selling prices rose at a somewhat faster pace than last month. Indexes assessing the six-month outlook suggested that firms remained optimistic about future business conditions.
Manufacturing firms in New York State reported that business activity continued to expand strongly. The general business conditions index was little changed at 18.0. Thirty-seven percent of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month, while 19 percent reported that conditions had worsened. The new orders index held steady at 19.5, and the shipments index rose four points to 22.4-readings that indicated ongoing solid growth in orders and shipments. The unfilled orders index moved down four points to -8.7, reflecting a decline in unfilled orders. The delivery time index climbed into positive territory, indicating that delivery times lengthened, and the inventories index fell to 1.4, a sign that inventory levels were steady."
