01:07 PM EDT, 04/15/2025 (MT Newswires) -- New York manufacturing activity improved more than expected this month, while the outlook turned negative for the first time since 2022, a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed Tuesday.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey's general business conditions index improved to minus 8.1 in April from minus 20 in March. The consensus was for a rise to minus 13.5, according to a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

"After declining sharply last month, business activity continued to contract modestly in New York State in April," New York Fed Economic Research Adviser Richard Deitz said in a statement.

New orders climbed 6.1 points to minus 8.8 on a monthly basis, while the shipments measure rose to minus 2.9 from minus 8.5, according to the Fed branch.

Six months out, the index for business activity swung to minus 7.4 from 12.7 in March. The future new orders and shipments indexes fell into contraction territory, the survey showed.

"Firms turned pessimistic about the outlook for the first time since 2022," Deitz said.

The raw material cost and the selling prices measures advanced for a fourth month in a row, reaching their highest levels in more than two years, according to the report. Both input and selling price increases are likely to pick up, the report said.

The employment index improved but remained in contraction territory at minus 2.6 in April, the survey showed.

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