Reversing a significant seven-tenths percent drop in September, U.S. factories posted a 1.4% production gain in October, the Federal Reserve Board reported on Nov. 17. In percentage terms, overall U.S. industrial production, which includes mines and utilities in addition to manufacturing, did not fare as well, rising nine-tenths of a percent. Manufacturing's strength was partially offset by a half-percent decline in output at mines and a 1.9% decline in utility output.
Capacity utilization among U.S. manufacturers rose nine-tenths of a percent to 79% in October. For all of U.S. industry, capacity utilization rose six-tenths of a percent to 79.5% as capacity utilization in mining fell half a percent and among utilities 1.6%.
