July Industrial Production Rises 0.3%

Industrial production rose 0.3% in July, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

The gain in production at factories, mines and utilities followed a 0.6% gain in June that was bigger than the 0.5% originally reported.

The increase matched economists’ forecasts, Bloomberg reported.

The share of industrial capacity in use rose to 81.9%, the highest since last September.

Factory output, which accounts for about four-fifths of the figure, rose 0.6% for the second straight month.
 
The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.