Business activity leveled off in New York State, according to firms responding to the May 2017 Empire State Manufacturing Survey.

The headline general business conditions index fell six points to -1.0. The new orders index dropped to -4.4,

suggesting a small decline in orders, and the shipments index edged down to 10.6, indicating that shipments increased at a slightly slower pace than in April. Labor market indicators pointed to a modest increase in both

employment and hours worked, and input prices and selling prices rose at a more moderate pace. Indexes assessing the six-month outlook were close to last month's levels, and continued to convey a high degree of optimism about future conditions.