Industrial Production Jumps 1% in February

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U.S. industrial production rose a full 1% in February, the most since November 2005, the Federal Reserve said Thursday.The gain in production at factories, mines and utilities followed a 0.3% decline in January. The share of industrial capacity in use rose to a five-month high of 82%, from 81.4% a month earlier. The increase was well above economists’ forecasts of a 0.3% gain, Bloomberg reported. Manufacturing, which accounts for about 80% of the index, rose 0.4% after falling 0.5% in January, the Fed said. The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.