Empire State Manufacturing Survey

One nation industrial and two regional surveys released this week provided further evidence that the U.S. economic recovery weakened somewhat in the second quarter, as manufacturing growth slowed.

The producer price index fell 0.5% in June, more than expected. Along with manufacturing data out Thursday, the price data give more support to analysts who are worried that deflation remains the biggest threat to the economy.

Manufacturing activity in the New York region unexpectedly slowed in May, the Fed said, but key index components such as orders, shipments, and employment, continue to confirm an ongoing economic expansion.

Notch another modest positive for the U.S. economy: Initial jobless claims fell another 10,000 to 514,000 for the week ended October 10, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday. Even better, initial jobless claims have fallen about 40,000 in the past two weeks -- a substantial decline, and...

Here's another sign the U.S. recession is bottoming and a recovery is underway: the Empire State Manufacturing Index soared 13 points to 12.1 in August, its highest level since November 2007, or one month before the recession started, the New York Federal Reserve announced Monday. Readings above...

If you could pick just one statistic to sum up the current economic condition of the United States, what indicator would it be? For some, it might be the unemployment rate; for others, corporate earnings. Another candidate would have to be industrial production, a reliable indicator of the nation's...

More unpleasant news on the manufacturing front: conditions for New York manufacturers deteriorated in March at the fastest pace on record, with nearly every aspect of the sector showing weakness -- a sign that the sector is undergoing a pronounced contraction. The Empire State Manufacturing...