Industrial production decreased 0.5 percent in October after having increased 0.2 percent in September. At 114.0 percent of its 2002 average, total industrial production in October was 1.8 percent above its year-earlier level. Output in the manufacturing sector fell 0.4 percent in October.
The output of utilities dropped 1.6 percent, primarily because of a decline in gas utilities; the output at mines fell 0.6 percent, reversing September's gain. Capacity utilization for total industry declined to 81.7 percent, a rate equal to its year-earlier level but 0.7 percentage point above its 1972-2006 average.
Elsewhere, the production indexes both for furniture, and carpeting fell more than 0.5 percent, and the output of miscellaneous durable goods declined more than 1 percent. The production of nondurable non-energy consumer goods declined 0.5 percent because of losses in all its major components: consumer chemical products, paper products, and clothing.
In October, the index for construction supplies moved down 0.4 percent, its fourth consecutive monthly decline; nevertheless, the index remained 0.1 percent above its year-earlier level.
The index for business supplies dropped 0.8 percent in October; the output of both non-energy business supplies and commercial energy products fell. The output of nondurable materials fell 0.6 percent, as a decrease in chemical materials outweighed a rise in paper materials.
The production of nondurable goods decreased 0.4 percent after having risen the same amount in September. Significant declines were registered for apparel and leather; printing and support; and chemicals.
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