Industrial production was unchanged in April, reflecting a drop in automobile output, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday.
The March increase was revised down to 0.7%, from an originally reported 0.8%, the Fed said.
The auto decline was due in part to supply disruptions following Japan’s March earthquake, Bloomberg reported.
Economists had forecast April industrial production to rise 0.4%, Bloomberg said.
Factory output, which makes up three-quarters of the total, declined, while mining production rose 0.8% and utility output gained 1.7%.
Excluding cars and parts, manufacturing output rose 0.2%. The share of industrial capacity in use rose to 76.9%, from 77% in March.
Manufacturing accounts for about an eighth of the U.S. economy and the factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.
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