Industrial production rose in July for the first time in nine months, the Federal Reserve said Friday.
The 0.5% upturn in production at factories, mines and utilities followed a 0.4% downturn in June.
Economists had forecast a 0.4% increase, Bloomberg reported. The amount of industrial capacity in use rose to 68.5%, from a revised 68.1%.
Factory output, which accounts for about four-fifths of production, rose 1%, following a 0.6% decline in June.
The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.
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