FX.co ★ US Industrial Output Rises More than Expected

In February 2025, the United States witnessed a 0.7% increase in industrial production, marking a third consecutive month of growth and surpassing market expectations of a modest 0.2%. This follows a revised upward growth of 0.3% in January and a 1.1% increase in December. Manufacturing output, which constitutes 78% of the overall industrial production, saw a 0.9% rise, driven by a significant 8.5% surge in the index for motor vehicles and parts. Excluding motor vehicles and parts, manufacturing output experienced a 0.4% increase. Additionally, mining output rose by 2.8%, recovering from a 3.2% decline in January. Conversely, the utilities index fell by 2.5%, with electric utilities and natural gas utilities decreasing by 1.2% and 11.1%, respectively. Capacity utilization increased to 78.2%, which is 1.4 percentage points below its long-term average from 1972 to 2024.