Industrial Production Falls 0.4% in October

Industrial production decreased by 0.4% in October, the Federal Reserve said Friday.

The decrease in activity at factories, mines and utilities followed a revised 0.2% increase in September that originally was reported as a 0.4% increase.

Economists had projected a 0.2% rise, Bloomberg reported.

Manufacturing, which makes up about three-quarters of the total, fell 0.9%, the biggest decrease since May 2009. Production of motor vehicles and parts fell 0.1% in October, following a 1.8% drop.

Capacity utilization, which measures plant output, decreased to 77.8% from 78.2% in September.

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