US industrial production rises 0.7 percent in September

US industrial production rose 0.7 percent in September, above the 0.4 percent consensus, as utilities output jumped 3.5 percent and manufacturing output rose 0.3 percent, the Federal Reserve reported.

Why it matters: The beat, with capacity utilization at 76.9 percent, points to firmer industrial activity at the end of the third quarter even as motor vehicle output fell 3.0 percent.

Data as of Federal Reserve G.17 release published October 16, 2026, opened and read in full; consensus figures via wire reporting of the release. Developing item sourced to the primary release itself.

US industrial production rose 0.7 percent in September after a revised 0.1 percent rise in August, the Federal Reserve reported on Friday, above a consensus expectation of 0.4 percent. Manufacturing output rose 0.3 percent, mining output rose 0.2 percent, and utilities output rose 3.5 percent, with total production 2.2 percent above a year earlier and up at a 2.8 percent annual rate in the third quarter.

Capacity utilization rose to 76.9 percent, above the 76.5 percent expected and still 2.5 percentage points below its long run average. Motor vehicles and parts output fell 3.0 percent, while durable manufacturing was lifted by gains of 1 percent or more in primary metals, machinery, and electrical equipment, and semiconductor output drove a strong third quarter for durable goods.

US industrial production rises 0.7 percent in September

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