Production Slips 0.1%, Capacity at 79.0% in May

WASHINGTON — Industrial production fell 0.1% in May, while capacity use decreased slightly to 79.0%, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.

Economists expected production to rise 0.1% and predicted a 79.2% capacity use.

In April, production rose 1.0%, originally reported as 1.1%, while capacity use was an unadjusted 79.2%.

Manufacturing output dropped 0.4%. Excluding motor vehicles and parts, which fell 1.5%, manufacturing output was also down 0.4%.

"Outside of manufacturing, the output of mines advanced 0.9% in May, while the output of utilities rose 0.8%," the Fed reported.

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