INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND CAPACITY UTILIZATION
[Annual Revision Notice Below]
Industrial production increased 0.1 percent in January for a second consecutive month. Output in the
manufacturing sector was unchanged in January, as lower output of motor vehicles and parts offset a small
net gain elsewhere. The output of utilities climbed 2.2 percent, while the output of mines moved down 1.8
percent. At 114.2 percent of its 2002 average, overall industrial production was 2.3 percent above its
January 2007 level. The rate of capacity utilization in January was unchanged, at 81.5 percent, a rate
0.4�percentage point above its year-earlier level and 0.5�percentage point above its 1972-2007 average.
Industrial production |
2002=100 | Percent change | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 2008 Jan. |
2007 | 2008 Jan. |
Jan. '07 to Jan. '08 |
|||||
Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | ||||
Total index | 113.5 | 114.0 | 114.1 | 114.2 | -.6 | .4 | .1 | .1 | 2.3 |
Previous estimates | 113.7 | 114.0 | 114.0 | -.5 | .3 | .0 | |||
Major market groups | |||||||||
Final Products | 114.2 | 114.7 | 115.0 | 115.3 | -.8 | .4 | .2 | .3 | 2.3 |
Consumer goods | 108.5 | 108.7 | 108.7 | 109.0 | -.9 | .2 | .0 | .3 | 1.5 |
Business equipment | 133.5 | 134.4 | 135.6 | 136.1 | -.5 | .6 | .9 | .4 | 5.6 |
Nonindustrial supplies | 110.8 | 110.8 | 110.9 | 110.9 | -.6 | -.1 | .1 | .0 | .8 |
Construction | 107.8 | 107.2 | 108.3 | 107.1 | -1.4 | -.5 | 1.1 | -1.1 | -1.2 |
Materials | 113.9 | 114.5 | 114.5 | 114.4 | -.3 | .5 | .0 | -.1 | 2.8 |
Major industry groups | |||||||||
Manufacturing (see note below) | 115.4 | 115.7 | 115.9 | 116.0 | -.6 | .3 | .2 | .0 | 2.0 |
Previous estimates | 115.4 | 115.7 | 115.7 | -.6 | .3 | .0 | |||
Mining | 101.4 | 103.1 | 103.0 | 101.1 | -.3 | 1.7 | -.1 | -1.8 | .9 |
Utilities | 109.0 | 109.4 | 109.2 | 111.6 | -.7 | .4 | -.2 | 2.2 | 6.2 |
Capacity utilization |
Percent of capacity |
Capacity growth Jan. '07 to Jan. '08 |
|||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average 1972-2007 |
1994-95 High |
2001-02 Low |
2007 Jan. |
2007 | 2008 Jan. |
||||
Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||||||
Total industry | 81.0 | 85.1 | 73.6 | 81.1 | 81.4 | 81.5 | 81.5 | 81.5 | 1.8 |
Previous estimates | 81.4 | 81.6 | 81.4 | ||||||
Manufacturing (see note below) | 79.8 | 84.6 | 71.6 | 79.8 | 79.8 | 79.8 | 79.8 | 79.7 | 2.1 |
Previous estimates | 79.8 | 79.8 | 79.7 | ||||||
Mining | 87.5 | 88.9 | 84.8 | 90.1 | 90.9 | 92.5 | 92.4 | 90.6 | .3 |
Utilities | 86.7 | 93.7 | 83.8 | 83.7 | 85.9 | 86.2 | 85.9 | 87.7 | 1.3 |
Stage-of-process groups | |||||||||
Crude | 86.6 | 89.5 | 82.0 | 88.2 | 89.2 | 90.8 | 90.7 | 89.8 | .5 |
Primary and semifinished | 82.2 | 88.2 | 74.6 | 81.9 | 81.8 | 81.8 | 81.7 | 81.9 | 2.1 |
Finished | 77.8 | 80.5 | 70.0 | 77.9 | 78.3 | 78.2 | 78.3 | 78.3 | 1.9 |
Market Groups
The production of consumer goods increased 0.3 percent in January: Consumer energy products advanced, consumer non-energy nondurables remained unchanged, and consumer durables fell. Both higher fuel output and an increase in residential energy sales contributed to the jump of 2.9 percent in the index for consumer energy goods. Among non-energy nondurables, small gains in the production of food and tobacco and of paper were offset by declines for chemicals and for clothing. Among consumer durables categories, the production of appliances, furniture, and carpeting dropped 2.1 percent, and the output of automotive products fell 1.2 percent; however, the output of home electronics and of miscellaneous consumer durables rose.
The output of business equipment rose 0.4 percent in January; increases in information processing equipment and in transit equipment outweighed a decrease in industrial and other equipment. The index for information processing equipment rose 1.6�percent as a result of further moderate gains in most of its components. The increase of 0.7�percent in transit equipment was concentrated in civilian aircraft; auto and truck assemblies both declined. Lower production indexes for machinery used in mining, in basic industry, and in farming contributed to the decrease of 0.4�percent in the index for industrial and other equipment.
The output of defense and space equipment increased 0.9�percent after having been unchanged in December. Gains were widespread among its components.
The output of construction supplies fell 1.1 percent in January after a rise of the same magnitude in December; production in January was 1.2 percent below its year-earlier level and about 4 percent below its peak in 2006. The output of business supplies increased 0.5 percent.
The production of non-energy materials edged down 0.1 percent in January, while the output of energy materials was unchanged. Among non-energy materials, the index for durable materials declined 0.2 percent. For the second consecutive month, a gain in equipment parts partly offset decreases in consumer parts and in other durable materials. In January, the advance in equipment parts was broadly based. Declines in indexes related to motor vehicle parts contributed significantly to the overall decrease for consumer parts, while the production of other durable materials was restrained by declines in metals, in plastics, in sawmills, and in stone, sand, and gravel mining. The output of nondurable materials was unchanged, as an increase in chemical materials was offset by large declines in textile materials and paper materials. The output of energy materials was unchanged; the output of utilities rose, but oil and gas extraction and related operations fell.
Industry Groups
Manufacturing production was unchanged in January after an increase of 0.2 percent in December. The factory operating rate decreased 0.1 percentage point in January, to 79.7 percent, a level 0.1 percentage point below its 1972-2007�average. The index for durable goods was unchanged. The indexes for computer and electronic products, for nonmetallic mineral products, and for aerospace and miscellaneous transportation equipment all posted sizable gains. However, output declined for wood products, primary metals, motor vehicles and parts, and furniture and related products. The production of nondurables edged up 0.1 percent. The output of petroleum and coal products advanced 2.6�percent, and the output of food, beverage, and tobacco products rose 0.4�percent. In contrast, the output index for textile and product mills fell 2.7 percent, and the output indexes for plastics and rubber products and for printing and support each fell about 1.5 percent. The output of non-NAICS industries (publishing and logging) edged up 0.1�percent.
The output of electric utilities increased 2.1 percent in January, and the output of natural gas utilities climbed 3.0 percent. The operating rate at utilities rose 1.8�percentage points, to 87.7 percent, a level 1.0 percentage point above its 1972-2007 average. Mining production fell 1.8 percent, with widespread decreases among its components. The capacity utilization rate for mining declined 1.8 percentage points, to 90.6 percent, a rate 3.1 percentage points above its long-run average.
Capacity utilization at industries grouped by stage of processing changed as follows: For the crude
stage, utilization decreased nearly 1 percentage point, to 89.8�percent, a rate that is 3.2 percentage
points above its 1972-2007 average. For the primary and semifinished stages, utilization increased 0.2
percentage point, to 81.9 percent. For the finished stage, utilization was unchanged at 78.3 percent.
Capacity Notice
The data in this release include preliminary estimates of industrial capacity for 2008. Measured
fourth quarter to fourth quarter, total industrial capacity is projected to rise 1.9 percent this year
after having expanded 1.8 percent in 2007. Manufacturing capacity is estimated to increase 2.1 percent in
2008, the same amount as in 2007. In 2008, mining capacity is estimated to expand 0.7 percent, and
utilities capacity is projected to rise 1.9 percent; both rates of increase would be slightly faster than
for last year. With the publication on March 28, 2008, of the annual revision to industrial production,
capacity, and capacity utilization, these estimates will be updated to reflect more-comprehensive source
data, including the 2006 Survey of Plant Capacity, physical capacity data from government and trade
sources, and the revised production indexes.
Revision Notice
Ascii | Screen reader | Summary: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization | Chart | Chart 1: Industrial Production, Capacity, and Capacity Utilization | Chart | Chart 2: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization | Chart | Chart 3: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization, High Technology Industries |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 1: Industrial Production: Market and Industry Groups (percent change) |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 2: Industrial Production: Special Aggregates and Selected Detail (percent change) |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 3: Motor Vehicle Assemblies |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 4: Industrial Production Indexes: Market and Industry Group Summary |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 5: Industrial Production Indexes: Special Aggregates |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 6: Diffusion Indexes of Industrial Production |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 7: Capacity Utilization: Manufacturing, Mining, and Utilities |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 8: Industrial Capacity: Manufacturing, Mining, and Utilities (percent change) |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 9: Industrial Production: Gross Value of Products and Nonindustrial Supplies |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 10: Gross-Value-Weighted Industrial Production: Stage-of-Process Groups |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 11: Historical Statistics for IP, Capacity, and Utilization: Total Industry |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 12: Historical Statistics for IP, Capacity, and Utilization: Manufacturing |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 13: Historical Statistics for IP, Capacity, and Utilization: Total Industry excluding Selected High-Technology Industries |
Ascii | Screen reader | Table 14: Historical Statistics for IP, Capacity, and Utilization: Manufacturing excluding Selected High-Technology Industries |