Industrial Production Down in December on Utilities and Mining

Washington, DC, January 15, 2016—Industrial production declined 0.4% in December, primarily as a result of cutbacks for utilities and mining, according to the Federal Reserve. The decrease for total industrial production in November was larger than previously reported, but upward revisions to earlier months left the level of the index in November only slightly below its initial estimate.

For the fourth quarter as a whole, industrial production fell at an annual rate of 3.4%. Manufacturing output edged down in December. The index for utilities dropped 2.0%, as continued warmer-than-usual temperatures reduced demand for heating. Mining production decreased 0.8% in December for its fourth consecutive monthly decline. At 106.0% of its 2012 average, total industrial production in December was 1.8% below its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector decreased 0.4 percentage point in December to 76.5%, a rate that is 3.6 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2014) average.