The Empire State Manufacturing Survey’s General Business Conditions index rose 6 pts to 11.9 in August, the highest since November 2024, marking a second consecutive month of expansion.

• New Orders climbed 13.4 pts to 15.4, indicating a solid pickup in demand.
• Shipments held steady at 12.2, pointing to continued growth in deliveries.
• Inventories fell sharply, with the index dropping -22.0 pts to -6.4 after last month’s strong rise.

• Prices Paid fell -1.9 pts to 54.1, showing input cost pressures remain steep, while Prices Received eased -2.8 pts to 22.9, indicating more moderate selling price increases.

• The Employment index fell -4.8 pts to 4.4, and the Average Employee Workweek index dropped -4.0 pts to 0.2.
• The Future General Business Conditions index fell 8 pts to 16.0, showing firms expect growth ahead but with less optimism than last month.