Overall industrial output declined 0.4% during December following a 0.9% November fall, revised from -0.6%. It was the third consecutive monthly decline and lessened the 2015 increase to 1.3%, its weakest rise in six years. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected a 0.3% fall.

A 2.0% decline (-7.6% y/y) in utility output accounted for most of last month's shortfall in production. Mining output also eased 0.8% (-11.3% y/y), down for the fourth straight month.

Manufacturing sector production fell 0.1% (+0.8% y/y) for the fourth month in the last five. The 2.0% full year increase was the weakest rise since 2013. Consumer products output fell 0.8% (+0.3% y/y), pulled down by a 1.7% drop (+3.7% y/y) in motor vehicle production. Furniture production fell 0.9% (+1.7% y/y) and machinery production declined 0.5% (-3.0% y/y). In the nondurable goods sector, chemical output was off 0.5% (+1.2% y/y) and apparel production declined 0.3% (-7.0% y/y). Materials production eased 0.3% (-3.1% y/y).

In the special aggregate series, output of high technology products gained 1.4% (1.7% y/y). Output of computers increased 3.0% (8.1% y/y) and bounced back after November's drop. Communications equipment production increased 0.1% (-6.4% y/y) for the second straight month. Overall production excluding the transportation & high technology sectors fell 0.4% (-2.2% y/y), off for the fourth consecutive month. Factory output excluding autos & high tech was unchanged for a second month (+0.5% y/y).

Capacity utilization fell to 76.5%, the lowest rate since July 2013. In the factory sector, the capacity utilization rate eased to 76.0%, the lowest level in six months. Overall industry capacity rose 1.5% y/y while in factory sector it gained (1.2% y/y).

Industrial production and capacity data are included in Haver's USECON database, with additional detail in the IP database. The expectations figure is in the AS1REPNA database.