Manufacturing activity weakens in the region, KC Fed reports

Manufacturing activity in the region continued to weaken in August, largely because of cutbacks in the oil and natural gas industries, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City said Thursday.

The Fed’s monthly index of manufacturing activity posted a reading of -9 in August, down from -7 in July and equal to June’s -9. The index monitors production, new orders, employment, supplier delivery time and raw material trends in the Fed’s seven-state region that includes Kansas and the northern part of Missouri.

“Survey respondents reported that weak oil and gas activity along with a stronger dollar continued to weigh on regional factories,” said Chad Wilkerson, vice president and economist at the Kansas City Fed.

The Star

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Manufacturing activity weakens in the region, KC Fed reports."