Manufacturing activity in the Chicago area expanded in May, the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago said Friday.

Manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region contracted in May, for the first time in three months, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday.

Manufacturing activity in the New York region contracted in May on lower orders and sales, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Wednesday.

Factory orders fell 4% in March, the biggest drop since August, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

U.S. manufacturing activity’s rate of expansion slowed in April, the Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday.

Manufacturing activity in the Chicago area contracted in April, the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago said Tuesday.

The federal government issued guidelines Tuesday to encourage automakers to limit the potential for driver distractions from electronic systems built into passenger cars, including those that connect to cellphones and the Internet.

Manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region expanded at a slower pace in April, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday.

At any given daylight moment, about 660,000 automobile drivers are using a cellphone or manipulating an electronic device, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Factory orders rose 3% in February, the biggest gain in five months, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.