by Calculated Risk on 9/30/2013 10:38:00 AM

From the Dallas Fed: Texas Manufacturing Activity Picks Up

Texas factory activity expanded in September, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, rose from 7.3 to 11.5, suggesting output increased at a slightly faster pace than in August. ... Perceptions of broader business conditions improved further in September. The general business activity index jumped nearly 8 points to 12.8, its highest reading in a year and a half.

The new orders index was 5, largely unchanged from its August level. ... Labor market indicators reflected continued employment growth but flat workweeks. The September employment index was 10, its third reading in a row in solidly positive territory.
...
Expectations regarding future business conditions remained optimistic in September. The indexes of future general business activity and future company outlook showed mixed movements but remained in strongly positive territory. Indexes for future manufacturing activity also remained solidly positive, and the index for future employment spiked 10 points to 21.9.
emphasis added

Here is a graph comparing the regional Fed surveys and the ISM manufacturing index:

Click on graph for larger image.

The New York and Philly Fed surveys are averaged together (dashed green, through September), and five Fed surveys are averaged (blue, through September) including New York, Philly, Richmond, Dallas and Kansas City. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) PMI (red) is through August (right axis).

Most of the regional surveys showed expansion in September (Richmond was at zero), and overall at about the same pace as in August.  The ISM index for September will be released tomorrow, October 1st.