Growth of manufacturing activity in the New York region decelerates more than expected in June

The report from the New York Federal Reserve showed on Tuesday that manufacturing activity in the New York region continued to grow in early June, albeit at a slower pace than in May.

According to the survey, the NY Fed Empire State manufacturing index fell from 24.3 in May to 17.4 in June, pointing to a continuation of solid business activity growth in the region, though at a slower pace than witnessed in the past few months. This was the lowest reading since March.

Economists had expected the index to come in at 23.0.

Anything below zero signals contraction.

According to the report, the new orders index fell 12.6 points to 16.3, and the shipments index dropped 15.5 points to 14.2, pointing to ongoing gains in orders and shipments, though at a milder pace than last month. Meanwhile, the delivery times index rose 6.2 points to 29.8, its fresh record high, pointing to significantly longer delivery times. The employment index went down 1.3 points to 12.3, indicating an ongoing modest rise in employment. On the price front, both price indexes decreased slightly in May from last month’s record highs, suggesting ongoing significant price gains: the prices paid index dropped 3.7 points to 79.8, and the prices received index declined 3.8 points to 33.3.