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Manufacturing levels in the Philadelphia region slowed this month, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday.

The area’s index fell to a negative 7.5 reading from a nine-month high of negative 2.2 last month, the regional Fed said.

Figures greater than zero indicate expansion, while those less than zero show contraction.

The Philadelphia Fed surveys about 100 manufacturers for the index in eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and southern New Jersey.