Empire State Manufacturing Survey: Average employee workweek: Future (increase vs decrease; diffusion index; percentage points; seasonally unadjusted) - United States - NY FED - Monthly
This series is part of the dataset: Empire State Manufacturing Survey (NY FED)
Download Full Dataset (.xlsx)Latest updates. Based on a sample of manufacturing firms surveyd by the FED, the seasonally unadjusted diffusion index for the average employee workweek (share of CEOs seeing a future increase minus share forecasting a decrease) was 10.8 in March 2026, versus 15.2 in the previous month.
Sample. In the monthly series shown in the chart, there are 297 records. The series covers the time range going from July 2001 to March 2026.
History. Here are some summary statistics computed on the full sample: the diffusion index was equal on average to 7.4; it recorded its highest level of 33.0 in February 2002; it reached a minimum of -13.8 in February 2009.
Latest values
| Date | Value - Percentage points |
|---|---|
| 2026-01-31 | 17.5 |
| 2026-02-28 | 15.2 |
| 2026-03-31 | 10.8 |
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Series Metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Description | Diffusion index for the question: Will the average employee workweek increase or decrease over the next six months? |
| Country | United States |
| Economic concept | Business survey response |
| Data type | Leading indicator of the business cycle |
| Deflation method | Not applicable |
| Seasonally adjusted | No |
| Rescaling | None |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Unit | Percentage points |
| Source | Federal Reserve Bank of New York |
| Source type | Central bank |
| Data licence | Free use subject to conditions |
| Measure type | Diffusion index (share of respondents reporting an increase minus share reporting a decrease) |
Series in the same data set
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