Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (07/23/15)

Manufacturing activity in the Plains states declined again in July, but less so than in previous months, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Producers remained slightly optimistic about future activity. 

The month-to-month composite index was -7 in July, up from -9 in June. The production index jumped from -21 to -5, and the shipments and order backlog indexes also moved higher. The new orders index slipped from -3 to -6, and the employment index dropped to its lowest level since April 2009, with many firms noting difficulties finding qualified workers.