Industrial Production Rises 0.6%

Industrial production increased 0.6% in December, the Federal Reserve said Friday.

The upturn in production at factories, mines and utilities matched November's change.

Economists had forecast a 0.6% increase for December, Bloomberg reported.

Manufacturing output fell 0.1%, while utility output grew 5.9%.

The amount of industrial capacity in use rose to 72% in December, the highest in a year, from 71.5% in November.

The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.