Manufacturing Production Unchanged, Capacity Slid Downward

Industrial production increased 0.7% in February after a decrease of 0.3% in January according to a Federal Reserve report released on March 17.

Manufacturing production was unchanged after a gain of 0.8% in January. But capacity utilization in manufacturing edged down in February to 80.4%, a rate 0.6% point above its 1972-2005 average.

The output of durable goods increased 0.2% with the largest gains recorded in aerospace and transportation equipment, furniture, computer and electronic products and fabricated metal products.

Wood products, motor vehicles and parts, electrical equipment, appliances, and components; and machinery saw a decrease in output.

Nondurable goods edged down 0.1%, with petroleum and coal products, textile and product mills industry declining more than 1%. Smaller decreases occurred in chemicals, plastics and rubber products.

Printing and support was the only major nondurable industry in which output climbed by more than 1%; smaller production increases came in the paper industry.