US Industrial Output Rises More than Expected

Industrial production in the United States increased by 0.7% in February 2025, the third surpassing market expectations of a 0.2% rise.

It follows a downwardly revised 0.3% rise in January and a 1.1% rise in December.

Manufacturing output, which accounts for 78% of total industrial production, increased 0.9%, boosted by a jump of 8.5% in the index for motor vehicles and parts.

The output of manufacturing excluding motor vehicles and parts increased 0.4%.

Meanwhile, the index for mining gained 2.8%, and the index for utilities decreased 2.5%.

Capacity utilization stepped up to 78.2%, a rate that is 1.4 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2024) average.