The September Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that conditions for New York State manufacturers “improved modestly” for the fourth month in a row. Although the index fell from 8.24 to 6.29, any reading above zero indicates improvement. New Orders and Shipments led the way as both went higher from August to September. The future conditions index, which looks ahead six months, climbed to 40.6 its highest level of the year suggesting increasing optimism from the State’s manufacturers. Click here for the full report.