New York Empire State Manufacturing Index is based on data compiled from the survey of 200 executives from the companies in the manufacturing sector in the New York State. Participants report the change in 11 indicators including level of general business activity, new orders, shipments, inventories, number of employees, delivery time, capital expenditure from the previous month and the likely direction of these indicators in six months. A reading above 0 indicates manufacturing activity is expanding, below 0 is contracting.