U.S. industrial production fell 0.5% in February, the first decline in four months, the Federal Reserve said Monday.
The dip in production at factories, mines and utilities followed a revised 0.1% increase in January.
The downturn was greater than economists’ forecasts of a 0.1% decline, Bloomberg reported.
Manufacturing, which accounts for about four-fifths of industrial production, fell 0.2% following no change in January.
The share of industrial capacity in use was 80.9%, the lowest since November 2005, the Fed said. Ìý The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.
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