Industrial Production Rises for First Time in Nine Months

Industrial production rose in July for the first time in nine months, the Federal Reserve said Friday.

The 0.5% upturn in production at factories, mines and utilities followed a 0.4% downturn in June.

Economists had forecast a 0.4% increase, Bloomberg reported. The amount of industrial capacity in use rose to 68.5%, from a revised 68.1%.

Factory output, which accounts for about four-fifths of production, rose 1%, following a 0.6% decline in June.



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