Empire State index retreats to 8.2 in August

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
Manufacturing in the New York region increased at a slightly slower pace in August than in the prior month, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Thursday
The regional bank's "Empire State" general business conditions index slipped to 8.2 in August from 9.5 in July
A MarketWatch survey of economists called for a reading of 9.5 in August
Readings greater than zero signal expansion
Details of the report were mixed
The key new orders sub-index fell to 0.3 in August from 3.8 and shipment slipped to 1.5 from 9.0 in July
On the other hand, labor market conditions improved in the month to their best levels in a year
The index for number of employees climbed to 10.8 in August from 3.3 July
The average workweek rose to 4.8 from negative 7.6 in the prior month