---
source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York
url: https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/survey/empire/empire2026/2026-04-empire-state-manufacturing-survey.pdf
document_type: pdf
date_retrieved: 2026-04-15
period: April 2026
parent_publication: Empire State Manufacturing Survey
indicators_covered: [General Business Conditions Index, New Orders Index, Shipments Index, Prices Paid, Prices Received, Employment, Average Workweek, Capital Expenditures, Supply Availability]
---

# Empire State Manufacturing Survey — April 2026

**Release Date:** April 10, 2026 at 09:30 ET  
**Survey Period:** April 2 – April 9, 2026  
**Number of Respondents:** 99 firms

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## Executive Summary

Manufacturing activity increased moderately in New York State in April, according to the Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The headline **general business conditions index rose eleven points to 11.0**. New orders and shipments increased significantly, both reaching their highest levels since 2023. Employment expanded and the average workweek increased. The pace of input price increases picked up sharply, while selling price increases held steady. Firms remained optimistic about future conditions, though optimism moderated and capital spending plans weakened.

*"Manufacturing activity grew moderately in New York State in April. New orders and shipments increased significantly, and employment expanded. However, input price increases accelerated, supply availability is expected to worsen, and firms became less optimistic about the outlook."*  
— Richard Deitz, Economic Research Advisor at the New York Fed

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## Current Indicators (April 2026)

| Indicator | April 2026 | March 2026 | Change (pts) |
|-----------|------------|------------|--------------|
| General Business Conditions Index | **11.0** | -0.2 | +11.2 |
| New Orders Index | 19.3 | 6.4 | +12.9 |
| Shipments Index | 20.2 | -6.9 | +27.1 |
| Prices Paid Index | 51.0 | 36.6 | +14.4 |
| Prices Received Index | 21.8 | 21.4 | +0.4 |
| Number of Employees Index | 9.8 | 5.8 | +4.0 |
| Average Workweek Index | 13.7 | 1.9 | +11.8 |
| Capital Expenditures Index | 13.1 | 21.6 | -8.5 |
| Supply Availability Index | -10.1 | -3.9 | -6.2 |

**Note:** Diffusion indexes are seasonally adjusted. A reading above 0 indicates expansion; below 0 indicates contraction.

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## Forward-Looking Indicators (Six-Month Outlook)

| Indicator | April 2026 | March 2026 | Change (pts) |
|-----------|------------|------------|--------------|
| General Business Conditions Index | 19.6 | 31.0 | -11.4 |
| New Orders Index | 24.8 | 29.1 | -4.3 |
| Shipments Index | 17.7 | 30.2 | -12.5 |
| Capital Expenditures Index | 13.1 | 21.6 | -8.5 |
| Supply Availability Index | -8.1 | -2.0 | -6.1 |

Firms expect conditions to improve in the coming months, though optimism moderated significantly. Capital spending plans weakened. Supply availability is expected to worsen further.

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## Key Observations

- **General business activity** turned positive at 11.0, a substantial rebound from the near-zero reading in March (-0.2).
- **New orders** surged to 19.3, the highest level since 2023, signaling strong demand.
- **Shipments** jumped to 20.2, also the highest since 2023, indicating robust production activity.
- **Input price pressures** accelerated sharply (prices paid index: 51.0 vs 36.6 in March), while selling price increases remained modest (21.8).
- **Employment** expanded with the number of employees index at 9.8 and average workweek rising sharply to 13.7.
- **Supply chain conditions** deteriorated, with the supply availability index falling to -10.1, and firms expect further worsening ahead.

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## Document Information

- **Source:** Federal Reserve Bank of New York
- **Publication Type:** Monthly manufacturing survey press release (PDF)
- **URL:** https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/survey/empire/empire2026/2026-04-empire-state-manufacturing-survey.pdf
- **Release Time:** 09:30 ET on April 10, 2026
- **Payroll Survey Reference Period:** Week including the 12th of the month (for employment questions)