Industrial Production Down for Second Month in September

Washington, DC, October 16, 2015—Industrial production decreased 0.2% in September after edging down 0.1% in August, according to the Federal Reserve.

The decline in August is smaller than previously reported.

In September, manufacturing output moved down 0.1% for a second consecutive monthly decrease; the index for mining fell 2.0%, while the index for utilities rose 1.3%. For the third quarter as a whole, total industrial production rose at an annual rate of 1.8%, and manufacturing output increased 2.5%.

A strong gain for motor vehicles and parts contributed substantially to the quarterly increases. At 107.1% of its 2012 average, total industrial production in September was 0.4% above its year-earlier level.

Capacity utilization for the industrial sector fell 0.3 percentage point in September to 77.5%, a rate that is 2.6 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2014) average.