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November 16, 2006 9:15 AM, EST

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.S. industrial production rose 0.2% in October, the Federal Reserve said Thursday.

The drop in production at factories, mines and utilities followed a followed a 0.6% slide in September that was the steepest of the year, the Fed said.

The gain was lower than economists’ forecasts of a 0.3% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Manufacturing, which accounts for about 90% of the index, fell 0.2%, matching September’s decline. The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.

The share of industrial capacity in use rose to 82.2% from 82.1%.