Industrial Production Rises in August

Industrial production rose 0.4% in August following no change the previous month, the Federal Reserve said Sept. 16.

Economists had forecast a 0.5% increase in August, Bloomberg News reported.

Manufacturing output, which makes up about 75% of the total, rose 0.7%, the most this year, following a 0.4% decline in July.

Capacity utilization, which measures plant output, increased to 77.8% from 77.6% in July, the Fed said. Utility output slipped 1.5%.

Motor vehicle and parts production increased 5.2% following a 4.5% drop in July.

Manufacturing accounts for about 12% of the U.S. economy. The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.