02:35 PM EDT, 04/29/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Texas' manufacturing activity unexpectedly slid this month amid soft orders and flat employment, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

The general business activity index dipped to negative 14.5 in April from negative 14.4 in March, data from the Fed branch published Monday showed. Analysts surveyed in a Bloomberg poll were expecting an improvement to negative 11.3.

Production, which the Dallas Fed calls a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, swung positive at 4.8 from negative 4.1. Orders improved to negative 5.3 from negative 11.8 while shipments rebounded to a reading of 5 from negative 15.4 month to month.

"Survey measures of Texas' manufacturing sector signaled slight production growth and flat employment in April," said Emily Kerr, senior business economist at the Dallas Fed. "Firms' perceptions of general business conditions continue to worsen, and outlooks are quite mixed."

The employment index dropped 1.6 points to negative 0.1, "suggesting no change in head counts," according to the Dallas Fed. The index charting prices paid for raw materials dropped 9.9 points to 11.2, while prices received fell 5.5 points sequentially to 5.5.

Six months out, the gauge for general business activity advanced 6.6 points to 7.9 in April. Future new orders and production advanced 1.7 points and 2.5 points, respectively, to 25.4 and 34.8. The forward-looking indicator of shipments rallied 7.9 points to 29.4.

The future employment index edged up to 20.2 from 17.9. Firms in the April 16-24 survey expect prices received to be flat and prices paid to dip in the coming six months, the regional Fed said.

Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that manufacturing activity in its region improved but remained in contraction, while the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said mid-Atlantic activity improved unexpectedly.