Factory Output, Industrial Production Rise in July

Washington, DC, Aug. 16, 2011 --Factory output increased 0.6% in July, the Federal Reserve reported today.

That's the biggest increase since the March 11 earthquake in Japan.

The auto industry, which suffered from the Japanese tragedies, accounted for nearly all of the increase in factory production.

Motor vehicles and parts increased 5.2%. Excluding that category, factory output grew 0.2%.

Overall industrial production jumped 0.9% — the biggest increase this year.

The July manufacturing data is the latest to show the economy picked up at the start of the July-September quarter after growing at a feeble annual rate of just 0.8% during the first half of the year.