Business activity grew at a solid pace in New York State, according to firms responding to the October 2021 Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The headline general business conditions index fell fifteen points to 19.8, pointing to a slower pace of growth than last month. New orders and shipments increased, though by less than they did last month. The delivery times index inched up to a record high. Labor market indicators pointed to ongoing growth in employment and the average workweek. Both the prices paid and prices received indexes held near record highs. Looking ahead, firms were still very optimistic that ... (full story)