Industrial Production Falls in November

Washington, DC, Dec. 15, 2011 -- U.S. industrial production fell in November for the first time in seven months, according to the Federal Reserve.

The government says that output at factories, utilities and mines dropped 0.2 percent last month.

Factory output, the biggest component of industrial production, decreased 0.4 percent, mainly because of steep decline in the production of motor vehicles and parts.

Without the volatile automotive category, factory output decreased 0.2 percent last month.

The decline in industrial production was the first since April.