Industrial Production Rose 0.4% in September

Industrial production increased by 0.4% in September, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday.

The increase in activity at factories, mines and utilities followed a revised 1.4% decline in August that was originally reported as a 1.2% decrease.

Economists had projected a 0.2% rise, Bloomberg reported.

Manufacturing, which makes up about three-quarters of the total, rose 0.2%. Production of motor vehicles and parts fell 2.5% in September, following a 5.1% drop.

Factory production excluding autos and parts rose 0.4%.

Capacity utilization, which measures plant output, increased to 78.3% from 78% in August.

Manufacturing accounts for about an eighth of the U.S. economy. The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.