Industrial production increased 0.4 percent in August, and manufacturing output inched up 0.1 percent. The August reading for manufacturing was held back by a drop of 5 percent in the output of motor vehicles and parts; factory output elsewhere rose 0.6 percent. The index for mining moved up 1.4 percent, and the index for utilities climbed 0.9 percent. At 103.5 percent of its 2017 average, total industrial production in August was 0.2 percent above its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization moved up to 79.7 percent in August, in line with its long-run (1972–2022) average.
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Click on graph for larger image.
This graph shows Capacity Utilization. This series is up from the record low set in April 2020, and above the level in February 2020 (pre-pandemic).
Capacity utilization at 79.7% is at the average from 1972 to 2022. This was above consensus expectations.
Note: y-axis doesn’t start at zero to better show the change.
The second graph shows industrial production since 1967.
Industrial production increased in August to 103.5. This is above the pre-pandemic level.
Industrial production was above consensus expectations, and the previous months were revised up.