The 0.8-point decline puts the survey below the 50 threshold separating expansion from contraction compared with the previous month. It follows September's return above that threshold.
The production index fell to 49.8 from 51.7 in September. New orders dropped to 49.4 from 50.5, indicating weaker conditions in both production and demand in this survey.
These indices describe surveyed companies' responses and are not industrial output growth rates. The release provides an indication of October's business conditions, without by itself establishing the path of gross domestic product.