by Calculated Risk on 12/15/2016 09:01:00 AM

From the NY Fed: Empire State Manufacturing Survey

Business activity grew modestly in New York State, according to firms responding to the December 2016 Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The headline general business conditions index climbed eight points to 9.0. The new orders index rose to 11.4, and the shipments index was unchanged at 8.5.
...
As in November, both employment indexes remained negative in December. The index for number of employees was little changed at -12.2, a sign that employment levels continued to wane, and the average workweek index, at -7.0, pointed to a decline in hours worked. ...

Indexes for the six-month outlook strengthened, and suggested that respondents were very optimistic about future conditions. The index for future business conditions shot up twenty points to 50.2, its highest level in nearly five years, with 61 percent of respondents expecting conditions to improve in the months ahead.
emphasis added

And from the Philly Fed: December 2016 Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey

The index for current manufacturing activity in the region increased from a reading of 7.6 in November to 21.5 this month. Nearly 34 percent of the firms reported increases in activity this month, compared with 24 percent last month. The general activity index has remained positive for five consecutive months, and the activity index reading was the highest since November 2014 [at 12.2].
...
The current employment index improved 9 points [to 6.4], its first positive reading in 12 months. Firms also reported an increase in work hours this month: The average workweek index, which increased 2 points, has now been positive for two consecutive months. ...

The diffusion index for future general activity increased from a reading of 29.3 in November to 52.6 this month. The index is now at its highest reading since January 2015.

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 (yellow, through December), and five Fed surveys are averaged (blue, through November) including New York, Philly, Richmond, Dallas and Kansas City. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) PMI (red) is through November (right axis).

It seems likely the ISM manufacturing index will show faster expansion again in December.