Business activity held steady in New York State, according to firms responding to the September 2022 Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The headline general business conditions index climbed thirty points to -1.5. New orders edged higher, and shipments increased sharply. Delivery times held steady, and inventories expanded. Labor market indicators pointed to a modest increase in employment and no change in the average workweek. Price indexes moved notably lower, pointing to a deceleration in price increases. Looking ahead, firms were not very optimistic that business conditions would improve over the next six months. ... (full story)