Purchasing managers' indexes (PMIs) for factory powerhouses China, Japan and South Korea showed activity shrinking while Vietnam and Malaysia also struggled with the broadening fallout from a Chinese slowdown.
"Overall, manufacturers were not in high spirits in October," said Wang Zhe, an economist at Caixin Insight Group, on China's survey outcome.
Japan's factory activity shrank for a fifth straight month in October, the final au Jibun Bank PMI showed.
South Korea's factory activity fell for the 16th straight month while PMIs from Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia also showed continued declines in activity.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that China's weak recovery and the risk of a more protracted property crisis could further dent Asia's economic prospects.
Persons:
Stringer, Wang Zhe, Leika Kihara, Sam Holmes
Organizations:
REUTERS, PMI, P Global, Caixin Insight, Jibun, Murata Manufacturing, Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson
Locations:
Zouping, Shandong province, China, Japan, South Korea, TOKYO, Vietnam, Malaysia, PMIs, Taiwan, Asia