From the Dallas Fed: Texas Manufacturing Activity Weakens Slightly
Texas factory activity contracted slightly in November, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, dipped into negative territory for the first time since mid-2016, falling seven points to -2.4.
Other measures of manufacturing activity were also negative in November, suggesting declines. The new orders index remained negative for a second month in a row, coming in at -3.0. The growth rate of orders index pushed further into negative territory, falling from -5.9 to -9.3. The capacity utilization and shipments indexes turned negative after three years in positive territory, falling to -5.3 and -4.5, respectively.
Perceptions of broader business conditions worsened slightly in November. The general business activity index remained negative but moved up from -5.1 to -1.3
Labor market measures suggested stable employment levels and shorter workweeks this month. The employment index retreated from 11.0 to 0.9, with the near-zero reading suggesting little to no job growth on balance. Eighteen percent of firms noted net hiring, while 17 percent noted net layoffs. The hours worked index dipped from 4.7 to -4.3.
Another weak regional manufacturing survey. The last regional survey for November (Richmond) will be released tomorrow.