Daily Roundup of Key US Economic Data for Sept. 15

02:19 PM EDT, 09/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The Empire State index fell to 7.6 in September from 20.6 in August, indicating slower expansion in the first manufacturing index for the month. Redbook reported that US same-store retail sales were up 8.5% year-over-year in the week ended Sept. 12, faster than an 8.3% gain in the prior week. The timing of Labor Day provided a boost, but retailers are reporting a slow transition from back-to-school to fall shopping.