INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND CAPACITY UTILIZATION

Industrial production rose 0.4 percent in April for its fourth consecutive monthly increase. April's increase follows a gain in March that was not as large as previously reported. At 139.2 percent of its 1992 average, industrial production in April was 2.0 percent lower than in April 2001. Manufacturing output increased 0.3 percent in April, to its highest level since August 2001; excluding motor vehicles and parts, manufacturing output was up 0.1 percent. Output at utilities moved up 0.9 percent, and production in mining climbed 1.1 percent. The rate of capacity utilization for total industry improved to 75.5 percent but remained more than 6 percentage points below its 1967-2001 average.

 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND CAPACITY UTILIZATION:  SUMMARY
 Seasonally adjusted
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               |                    1992=100                     |                  Percent change
                               | ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------
                               |       2002                                      |   2002                          |    Apr. '01 to 
 Industrial production         |       Jan.        Feb.        Mar.        Apr.  |   Jan.    Feb.    Mar.    Apr.  |      Apr. '02 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               |                                                 |                                 |
  Total index                  |      137.6       138.0       138.6       139.2  |     .6      .3      .4      .4  |           -2.0 
     Previous estimates        |      137.4       137.9       138.8              |     .5      .3      .7          |                
                               |                                                 |                                 |
  Major market groups:         |                                                 |                                 |
  Products, total              |      126.7       127.0       127.7       127.9  |     .2      .2      .5      .2  |           -2.4 
     Consumer goods            |      120.6       121.1       121.8       122.1  |     .0      .4      .6      .3  |             .6 
     Business equipment        |      165.3       164.3       163.9       164.0  |     .6     -.6     -.2      .1  |           -9.9 
     Construction supplies     |      136.3       137.3       139.3       138.8  |     .5      .8     1.4     -.3  |            -.1 
  Materials                    |      155.8       156.6       157.0       158.1  |    1.4      .5      .3      .7  |           -1.4 
                               |                                                 |                                 |
  Major industry groups:       |                                                 |                                 |
  Manufacturing                |      142.6       142.8       143.4       143.9  |     .7      .1      .5      .3  |           -1.9 
     Durable                   |      175.7       175.9       176.9       177.8  |     .9      .1      .5      .5  |           -2.8 
     Nondurable                |      110.3       110.4       110.8       110.9  |     .5      .1      .4      .1  |            -.9 
  Mining                       |       97.0        96.3        95.0        96.0  |    -.5     -.7    -1.4     1.1  |           -6.9 
  Utilities                    |      115.7       120.2       121.9       123.0  |     .4     3.9     1.4      .9  |            1.4 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               |                                                                                   |    Capacity
                               |                                Percent of capacity                                |     growth
                               | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------
                               |     Average        1982     1988-89       2001  |   2002                          |    Apr. '01 to 
 Capacity utilization          |  1967-2001          Low        High       Apr.  |   Jan.    Feb.    Mar.    Apr.  |      Apr. '02 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               |                                                 |                                 |
  Total industry               |       81.9        71.1        85.4        77.8  |   74.8    75.0    75.3    75.5  |            1.1 
     Previous estimates        |                                                 |   74.7    74.9    75.4          |                
                               |                                                 |                                 |
  Manufacturing                |       80.9        69.0        85.7        76.0  |   73.4    73.4    73.7    73.9  |             .9 
     Advanced processing       |       80.3        71.0        84.2        75.8  |   72.9    72.8    73.0    73.1  |             .5 
     Primary processing        |       82.0        65.7        88.3        76.4  |   74.0    74.4    74.8    75.0  |            1.5 
  Mining                       |       87.6        80.3        88.0        92.1  |   85.9    85.3    84.1    85.1  |             .8 
  Utilities                    |       87.6        75.9        92.6        89.4  |   82.1    84.9    85.8    86.3  |            5.1 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Note:  Estimates for April are preliminary.  Estimates from January to March are revised.
 
 
 

Market Groups

The output of consumer goods rose 0.3 percent in April and was led by a further increase in the production of durable goods. The production of automotive products climbed 2.7 percent to its highest level since August 1999, and the output of home electronics goods increased 0.4 percent. The production indexes for appliances, furniture, and carpeting and for miscellaneous goods fell back after having posted large gains in March. Among nondurables, an increase in the output of energy products, particularly electricity, offset a small decline in the overall production of non-energy goods. Within the non-energy category, the output of food and tobacco expanded, while the production of clothing, chemical products, and paper products receded. The index for paper products posted its twelfth consecutive monthly decline and was 10 percent below its level in April 2001; the decline in output for this group mainly reflected weakness in the periodicals, books, and cards industry.

The output of business equipment edged up 0.1 percent. Production of both transit equipment and industrial and other equipment increased somewhat, but both indexes remained well below their year-earlier levels. The gain in transit equipment was largely the result of a rise in the output of business trucks; the production of industrial and other equipment was bolstered by increased output of farm machinery. The index for information processing equipment slipped 0.1 percent after three consecutive monthly increases; the production of communications equipment fell sharply in April after having risen in the previous two months. The production of defense and space equipment rose 0.9 percent further and was nearly 3 percent higher than a year ago.

The output of construction supplies fell back 0.3 percent after a string of four monthly gains; nonetheless, output in this category has recovered all the losses incurred in 2001 and has returned to its level in January 2001. The production of business supplies moved up 0.6 percent and has risen, on average, 0.8 percent per month over the past three months.

The production of materials continued to display the strength evident since the beginning of the year. The index for materials has increased 3 percent since December, and gains have occurred in all materials categories. In April, the output of durable materials rose 0.6 percent and was led by the production of consumer parts. The output of nondurable materials moved up 0.2 percent and the output of energy materials jumped 1.5 percent, largely because of the increased production of primary energy goods.

Industry Groups

Manufacturing output rose 0.3 percent in April. Among durables, increases in the production of motor vehicles and parts, miscellaneous goods, fabricated metals, furniture and fixtures, industrial machinery and equipment, and electrical machinery more than offset declines in the output of aerospace and miscellaneous transportation equipment, instruments, and lumber. Gains in the production of computers and office equipment and in semiconductors and related electronic components boosted the output of industrial machinery and equipment and electrical machinery. Among nondurables, increases in the production of food and tobacco products, petroleum products, and rubber and plastics products slightly more than offset declines in the output of chemicals and products, apparel products, and paper and products.

The factory operating rate moved up in April to 73.9 percent. The utilization rate for primary-processing industries rose to 75.0 percent, while the rate for advanced-processing industries increased to 73.1 percent. The operating rate at utilities climbed to 86.3 percent, and the operating rate for mining rose to 85.1 percent after having posted several consecutive monthly declines.

G.17 Release Tables: