by Calculated Risk on 10/28/2013 10:30:00 AM

From the Dallas Fed: Texas Manufacturing Activity Strengthens

Texas factory activity picked up further in October, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, rose from 11.5 to 13.3, suggesting output increased at a slightly faster pace than in September.

Other measures of current manufacturing activity also indicated a slightly stronger expansion in October. The new orders index came in at 6.2, slightly above its September level, and marked a sixth consecutive month of increased demand. ...

The general business activity index remained positive but fell to 3.6 after rising sharply to 12.8 in September. The company outlook index posted a fifth consecutive positive reading but moved down to 5.4.

Labor market indicators reflected continued employment growth and longer workweeks. The October employment index was 9.6, largely unchanged from its September level.
emphasis added

Here is a graph comparing the regional Fed surveys and the ISM manufacturing index:

Click on graph for larger image.

The New York and Philly Fed surveys are averaged together (dashed green, through October), and five Fed surveys are averaged (blue, through October) including New York, Philly, Richmond, Dallas and Kansas City. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) PMI (red) is through September (right axis).

All of the regional surveys showed expansion in October, but at a somewhat slower pace overall than in September.  The ISM index for October will be released Friday, November 1st and the consensus is for a decrease to 55.0 from 56.2 in September.