Industrial Production Rises 0.2% in August

Industrial production rose 0.2% in August, as factory output, which accounts for about four-fifths of the total figure, fell for the first in six months, the Federal Reserve said Friday.

The gain in production at factories, mines and utilities followed a 0.5% gain in July that was larger than originally reported.

The increase came in below economists’ forecasts of a 0.3% increase, Bloomberg reported.

The share of industrial capacity in use held steady at 82.2%, according to the Fed.

Factory output fell 0.3%, the first decline since February.

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