NY Fed: General business conditions index rose three points to 25.6

"Business activity remained robust in New York State, according to firms responding to the August 2018 Empire State Manufacturing Survey," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said on Wednesday.

Key quotes from the official press release

• The headline general business conditions index climbed three points to 25.6. 
• Forty-two percent of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month, while 16 percent reported that conditions had worsened.
• The index for number of employees edged lower, but at 13.1, pointed to a pickup in employment levels. 
• Firms remained moderately optimistic about the six-month outlook, though less so than earlier this year.