Industrial Production Unchanged in April

Industrial production was unchanged in April, reflecting a drop in automobile output, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday.

The March increase was revised down to 0.7%, from an originally reported 0.8%, the Fed said.

The auto decline was due in part to supply disruptions following Japan’s March earthquake, Bloomberg reported.

Economists had forecast April industrial production to rise 0.4%, Bloomberg said.

Factory output, which makes up three-quarters of the total, declined, while mining production rose 0.8% and utility output gained 1.7%.

Excluding cars and parts, manufacturing output rose 0.2%. The share of industrial capacity in use rose to 76.9%, from 77% in March.

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