Regional manufacturing activity slips again in July

Manufacturing activity in the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank district continued to slip in July, but manufacturers’ remained optimistic about future activity.

That’s according to the Fed survey of manufacturers this month in the district that includes Kansas.

Results of the survey, released Thursday, showed a decline in activity in July, “but less so than previous months,” the Fed said in a news release.

“Our headline index was closer to zero than in May or June but was still negative, indicating further contraction in regional factory activity,” Chad Wilkerson, Kansas City Fed vice president and economist, said in the release. “However, firms expect a modest pickup in activity in coming months.”

The Kansas City Fed district encompasses the western third of Missouri, the northern half of New Mexico, and the states of Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Regional manufacturing activity slips again in July."