China factory indexes ebb in new sign of economic weakness

In this Friday, Aug. 28, 2015 photo, an employee works in a textile factory in Huaibei in central China's Anhui province. Chinese manufacturing is showing signs of further weakness as two factory indexes released Tuesday, Sept. 1, fell to multiyear lows, intensifying fears that the world’s No. 2 economy is losing more momentum. (Chinatopix Via AP) CHINA OUT In this Friday, Aug. 28, 2015 photo, an employee works in a textile factory in Huaibei in central China's Anhui province. Chinese manufacturing is showing signs of further weakness as two factory indexes released Tuesday, Sept. 1, fell to multiyear lows, intensifying fears that the world’s No. 2 economy is losing more momentum. (Chinatopix Via AP) CHINA OUT

By Associated Press September 1, 2015 2 min read

HONG KONG (AP) – Chinese manufacturing showed further signs of weakness in August, adding to evidence of an inexorable slowdown in the world’s No. 2 economy despite recent government efforts to support growth.

Two factory activity indexes released Tuesday were at multi-year lows.

An official manufacturing index based on a survey of factory purchasing managers fell last month to 49.7, the lowest level since August 2012, from 50.0 in July.

The index, compiled by the Chinese Federation for Logistics and Purchasing, is based on a 100-point scale on which numbers above 50 indicate expansion.

A separate survey, the Caixin purchasing managers’ index, fell to a six-year low of 47.3 from 47.8 in July.