Industrial production increased 0.4 percent in September and 2.9 percent at an annual rate in the third quarter. In September, manufacturing output rose 0.4 percent after advancing a similar amount in the previous month. The index for mining moved up 0.6 percent, and the index for utilities fell 0.3 percent. At 105.2 percent of its 2017 average, total industrial production in September was 5.3 percent above its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization moved up 0.2 percentage point in September to 80.3 percent, a rate that is 0.7 percentage point above its long-run (1972–2021) average.
emphasis added
Click on graph for larger image.
This graph shows Capacity Utilization. This series is up from the record low set in April 2020, and above the level in February 2020 (pre-pandemic).
Capacity utilization at 80.3% is 0.7% above the average from 1972 to 2021. This was above consensus expectations.
Note: y-axis doesn’t start at zero to better show the change.
The second graph shows industrial production since 1967.
Industrial production decreased in September to 105.2. This is above the pre-pandemic level.
The change in industrial production was above consensus expectations.