The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index fell 0.4% in September to a seasonally adjusted level of 93.4, as three of the four regional sectors slid, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Monday.
Nationally, the Federal Reserve Board's industrial production index for manufacturing grew 0.2% in September. Overall manufacturing output in the region gained 8.5% from a year earlier, compared to 3.5% growth in output nationally in that period.
The August report showed a revised 1.8% decrease to 93.8,
The regional auto sector's output decreased 2.2% in the month, after a 5.3% drop in August, while national output fell 0.5%. Nationally, auto sector output soared 9.4% from a year ago while the Midwest auto sector's output surged 16.4% year-over-year, according to the Fed.
The regional machinery sector's output decreased 0.3% in the month, following a 0.2% drop in August. Nationally, machinery sector output rose 0.3% in the month. On a year-over-year basis, machinery output grew 8.1% in the region while rising 3.7% in the nation.
The regional steel sector's output dipped 0.1% in the month, following a 0.9% fall in August. Nationally, steel sector output was unchanged in the month. On a year-over-year basis, steel output grew 8.1% in the region while climbing 5.5% in the nation.
The regional resource sector's output rose 0.9% in September, following a flat August. Nationally, resource output gained 0.5% in the month. Compared to September 2011, regional resource output grew 2.6%, while national resource output rose 1.2%. "Production in all five of the regional resource sector's subsectors (food, wood, paper, chemical, and nonmetallic mineral) increased from August to September."
