The report from the New York Federal Reserve showed on Monday that manufacturing activity in the New York region continued to grow in early August, albeit at a much slower pace than in July.

According to the survey, NY Fed Empire State manufacturing index plunged from 43.0 in July to 18.3 in August, pointing to a continuation of business activity growth in the region. 

Economists had expected the index to come in at 29.0.

Anything below zero signals contraction.

According to the report, the new orders index fell 18.4 points to 14.8, still pointing to a solid increase in orders, and the shipments index tumbled 39.4 points to 4.4, suggesting a slight advance in shipments. Meanwhile, the delivery times index rose 8.1 points to 28.3, indicating significantly longer delivery times, as has been the case for the past several months. Elsewhere, the employment index declined 7.8 points to 12.8, indicating a modest rise in employment. On the price front, both price indexes were at/near record highs, indicating that price gains remain significant: the prices paid index edged down 0.7 points to 76.1, while the prices received index climbed 6.6 points to 46.0, setting a new record.