Industrial production decreased 0.4 percent in September after rising 0.8 percent in August. For the third quarter as a whole, the index rose 1.2 percent at an annual rate, according to the Federal Reserve. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector decreased 0.2 percentage point in September to 77.5 percent, a rate that is 2.3 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2018) average.
Manufacturing output declined 0.5 percent in September, impacted by the strike at General Motors. The output of durables edged down 0.7 percent in September. Excluding the 4.2 percent decrease in motor vehicles and parts, the output for durables only declined 0.1 percent. Capacity utilization for manufacturing declined 0.4 percentage point in September to 75.3 percent, 3.0 percentage points below its long-run average.
Mining output declined 1.3 percent but remained 2.6 percent above its level of a year earlier.
The output of utilities rose 1.4 percent in September; the output of natural gas utilities declined 1.5 percent, while the output of electric increased 1.9 percent.
Read the Fed release.