The Kansas City Fed’s Tenth District Manufacturing Composite Index rose to +4 in September 2025 (from +1 in August), signaling a modest pickup in activity.

• Production improved to +4 (from 0), showing a further gain after flat output in August.

• Shipments eased slightly to +3 (from +6), but remained in positive territory.

• New orders were steady at +2, holding onto modest growth after improving from negative levels earlier in the summer.

• Backlogs remained weak at -13 (from -15), pointing to continued softness in demand pipelines.

• Employment strengthened to +3 (from -11), indicating stabilization in labor conditions.

• The average employee workweek rose to +3 (from -9), reflecting an increase in hours worked.

• Prices received for finished products edged down to +19 (from +21), while prices paid for raw materials moderated to +37 (from +41).

• New export orders weakened to -19 (from -15), showing persistent contraction in external demand.

• Materials inventories slipped to +1 (from +8), while finished goods inventories improved slightly to +2 (from -3).