The New York Federal Reserve’s Empire State Manufacturing Survey for December weakened from last month but still indicated growth. The General Business Conditions Index fell 12.4 points to 10.9 (a reading above 0 indicates expansion) with New Orders, Shipments and Unfilled Orders all falling from their November levels while Number of Employees was up 12 points to 26.1, its highest reading in over five years. The Future Conditions Index which anticipates conditions six months in the future registered 30.6, but that was still down 3.0 points.
