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Industrial production fell 0.3% in September after advancing 0.3% in August. The decline in September was influenced significantly by the ongoing strike of Boeing workers and the effects of two hurricanes. Manufacturing output decreased 0.4%, with aerospace and miscellaneous transportation equipment dropping a dramatic 8.3%. At 102.6% of its 2017 average, total industrial production in September was down 0.6% from the same month last year. Capacity utilization edged down to 77.5%, 2.2 percentage points below its long-term average from 1972 to 2023.but was up 1.2% from the same month last year.

In September, major market groups saw mixed results. Among consumer goods, the production of durables decreased 0.7%. On the other hand, the index for nondurables increased 0.5%, helped by a 1.7% rise in energy goods. The business equipment index declined 3.5% in September, weighed down by the sharp 14.2% drop in the production of transit equipment, largely affected by the strike.

Durable goods manufacturing decreased 1.0%. Apart from the dramatic drop in aerospace and miscellaneous transportation equipment, declines occurred in motor vehicles and parts (down 1.5%), furniture and related products (down 1.5%) and electrical equipment, appliances and components (down 1.4%), with slight declines in numerous other durable industry groups. Nondurable goods manufacturing, on the other hand, increased 0.2% in September, with the largest gains in petroleum and coal products (up 1.8%) and printing and support (up 1.0%).

Manufacturing capacity utilization decreased 0.4% to 76.7%, which is 1.6 percentage points below the long-term average.