Fed report: Texas manufacturing still weak - Houston Business Journal:

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The report said 53 percent of manufacturing executivesa surveyed reported weaker market conditionzs in March and 43 percent said they experiencec no improvementfrom February. However, the report indicates hope for themonthd ahead. “Several indicators of future activitg suggest thatthe region’s manufacturers expect declinesz in factory activity to ease over the next six the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said in its latestf report on manufacturing.
“Indexes for future capacity utilization, shipments, new orders and growth rate of orders improved modestly for the fourth consecutive and 40 percent of manufacturing executivees foresee increases in production six monthsfrom now.” Labor remainws a trouble spot, the report says, with demanxd for labor in manufacturing remaining weak. More than half of the firmw surveyed said they implemented job cuts and the averagee workweek fell for employeesin March, the Fed report The industry also noted that downward prics pressures continued, with 50 percent noticingh a drop in input prices and 34 percenft selling their goods for lower prices.
In the report says the index for materials inventories fell to its lowestg reading since the surveyh first beganin 2004, with 30 percent of manufacturers notingb declines in their finished goods the report said.