Industrial Production Gains 0.5%

Industrial production rose 0.5% in June, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

The increase in production at factories, mines and utilities followed a 0.2% downturn in May.

The increase was more than the 0.1% gain forecast by economists, Bloomberg reported.

Manufacturing, which accounts for about four-fifths of industrial production, rose 0.2% from the previous month. The share of industrial capacity in use rose to 79.9%, from 79.6%.

The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.