Manufacturing output rose 1.0 percent in April. Capacity utilization for manufacturing moved up 0.8 percentage point to 70.8 percent, a rate 8.4 percentage points below its average from 1972 to 2009, but 5.7 percentage points above its trough in June 2009.
Capacity utilization rates in April at industries grouped by stage of process were as follows: At the crude stage, utilization increased 1.3 percentage points to 89.0 percent, a rate 2.5 percentage points above its average for the period from 1972 to 2009; at the primary and semifinished stages, utilization rose 0.8 percentage point to 70.2 percent, a rate 11.4 percentage points below its long-run average; and at the finished stage, utilization edged up 0.2 percentage point to 71.8 percent, a rate 5.7 percentage points below its long-run average.US Industrial production and capacity utilization for April
Industrial production increased 0.8 percent in April after having risen 0.2 percent in March. Manufacturing output climbed 1.0 percent in April for a second consecutive month and was 6.0 percent above its year-earlier level. The increases in manufacturing continued to be broadly based across industries. Outside of manufacturing, the output of mines rose 1.4 percent, and the output of utilities decreased 1.3 percent. At 102.3 percent of its 2002 average, total industrial output in April was 5.2 percent above its year-earlier level. The capacity utilization rate for total industry advanced 0.6 percentage point to 73.7 percent, a rate 6.9 percentage points below its average from 1972 to 2009, but 4.5 percentage points above the rate from a year earlier.
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