Industrial production and capacity utilization data for October 2017 are now available.
Industrial production rose 0.9 percent in October, and manufacturing increased 1.3 percent. The index for utilities rose 2.0 percent, but mining output fell 1.3 percent, as Hurricane Nate caused a sharp but short-lived decline in oil and gas drilling and extraction. Even so, industrial activity was boosted in October by a return to normal operations after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma suppressed production in August and September.[1] Excluding the effects of the hurricanes, the index for total output advanced about 0.3 percent in October, and the index for manufacturing advanced about 0.2 percent.[1] A technical Q&A discussing the effects of the recent hurricanes on industrial production is available on the Federal Reserve Board's website at https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g17/g17_technical_qa.htm#HarveyIrmaNate2017. Additional discussion about the estimation process is available at https://doi.org/10.17016/2380-7172.2086]]>
