Business activity edged slightly lower in New York State, according to firms responding to the February 2024 Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The headline general business conditions index rose forty-one points but remained negative at -2.4. New orders declined modestly, while shipments edged higher. Unfilled orders continued to shrink, and delivery times continued to shorten. Inventories declined. Employment levels were little changed, while the average workweek fell. The pace of input price increases picked up for a second straight month, and the pace of selling price increases also steepened. The six-month ... (full story)