The Federal Reserve’s Fifth District manufacturing index edged down to 4 in August 2026 from 5 in July, remaining well below market expectations of 7. Manufacturing activity was little changed during the month, as shipments increased to 11 from 8, while new orders declined to 3 from 5. Backlogs of orders (-7 vs 4) and capital expenditures (-5 vs 0) both swung into negative territory, while employment fell to -2 from 2. Meanwhile, the average growth rates of prices paid (6.22 vs 6.08) and prices received (4.09 vs 3.96) increased. The local business conditions index also declined to 4 from 10 in July. Over the next six months, firms remained relatively optimistic, with future new orders edging up to 32 from 31, while shipment expectations eased to 26 from 33. Employment expectations rose to 20 from 15, while expected growth in prices paid and received moderated. Meanwhile, the future local business conditions index continued to decline, falling to 16 from 19. source: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index in the United States decreased to 4 points in August from 5 points in July of 2026. Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index in the United States averaged 1.87 points from 1993 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 27.00 points in March of 2004 and a record low of -54.00 points in April of 2020. This page provides - United States Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. United States Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on September of 2026.

Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index in the United States decreased to 4 points in August from 5 points in July of 2026. Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index in the United States is expected to be -1.00 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United States Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index is projected to trend around 1.80 points in 2027 and 2.00 points in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-07-28 02:00 PM
Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index
Jul 5 4 10 7
2026-08-25 02:00 PM
Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index
Aug 4 5 7 6
2026-09-22 02:00 PM
Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index
Sep 4 -1


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index 4.00 5.00 points Aug 2026
Richmond Fed Manufacturing Shipments Index 11.00 8.00 points Aug 2026
Richmond Fed Services Index -8.00 -3.00 points Aug 2026


United States Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index
The Richmond Manufacturing Index measures the conditions of the manufacturing sector for the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and most of West Virginia. The index is derived from a survey of 190 manufacturing plants and based on three individual index with the following weights: Shipments (33 percent), New Orders (40 percent) and Employment (27 percent). The index can range between +100 and -100; a reading above zero indicates expansion, while below zero suggests a contraction.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
4.00 5.00 27.00 -54.00 1993 - 2026 points Monthly
SA

News Stream
US Fifth District Manufacturing Edges Down
The Federal Reserve’s Fifth District manufacturing index edged down to 4 in August 2026 from 5 in July, remaining well below market expectations of 7. Manufacturing activity was little changed during the month, as shipments increased to 11 from 8, while new orders declined to 3 from 5. Backlogs of orders (-7 vs 4) and capital expenditures (-5 vs 0) both swung into negative territory, while employment fell to -2 from 2. Meanwhile, the average growth rates of prices paid (6.22 vs 6.08) and prices received (4.09 vs 3.96) increased. The local business conditions index also declined to 4 from 10 in July. Over the next six months, firms remained relatively optimistic, with future new orders edging up to 32 from 31, while shipment expectations eased to 26 from 33. Employment expectations rose to 20 from 15, while expected growth in prices paid and received moderated. Meanwhile, the future local business conditions index continued to decline, falling to 16 from 19.
2026-08-25
US Fifth District Manufacturing Edges Up in July
The Federal Reserve's Fifth District manufacturing index edged up to 5 in July 2026 from 4 in June, remaining well below market expectations of 9. Manufacturing activity was broadly stable during the month, as stronger shipments (8 vs. 4) and a rebound in employment (2 vs. -1) offset slower growth in new orders (5 vs. 8). Local business conditions improved sharply, with the index rising to 10 from -1. On the price front, cost pressures eased, as the growth rate of prices paid slowed to 6.08% from 6.99%, while prices received moderated to 3.96% from 4.57%. Looking ahead, firms expect inflationary pressures to moderate over the next 12 months. However, optimism softened, with expectations for local business conditions (19 vs. 22), shipments (33 vs. 36), and new orders (31 vs. 33) all declining, though remaining firmly in positive territory.
2026-07-28
US Fifth District Manufacturing Falls
The Federal Reserve's Fifth District manufacturing index decreased by 9 points from the previous month to 4 point in June 2026, down from 13 in May and below market expectations. The result reflected an unchanged level of manufacturing activity in the district, with most key components weakening during the month. Shipments eased to 3 from 16, while new orders declined to 9 from 17, though both indicators remained positive. Meanwhile, raw materials inventories increased to 9 from 5. On the other hand, the employment index slipped into negative territory at -1, reversing from 3 in the previous month. Price pressures strengthened, with the average growth rates of prices paid rising to 6.99% from 5.96%, and prices received increasing to 4.57% from 4.21%. Looking ahead, shipments expectations improved to 38 from 35. However, expectations for new orders and employment softened, falling to 32 from 36 and to 16 from 23, respectively.
2026-06-23