Overall industrial output fell 0.6% during November (-1.2% y/y) following a 0.4% October decline, revised from -0.2%. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected a 0.1% fall. A 4.3% decline (-7.6% y/y) in utility output accounted for most of last month's shortfall in production. Mining output also fell 1.1% (-8.2% y/y) after a 2.4% drop.

Manufacturing sector production remained unchanged (1.0% y/y) following a 0.3% increase. Output of electrical equipment & appliances fell 1.3% (+5.3% y/y) following a 3.6% jump. Motor vehicle & parts production declined 1.0% (+5.5% y/y) and reversed the prior month's increase. Primary metals production was off 2.8% (7.0% y/y), the fourth decline in the last five months. Furniture output eased 0.1% (+2.8% y/y) following six months of increase but computer & electronic components output rose 0.7% (1.6% y/y) after a 0.3% rise. In the nondurable goods sector, production recovered 0.5% (1.6% y/y) following two months of little change. Food & beverage output led the gain with a 1.0% rise (1.6% y/y) after two months of sharp decline. Petroleum & coal product output rose 0.4% (3.5% y/y), about the same as in the prior two months. Chemical production rose 0.4% (2.1% y/y) after a 0.5% rise. To the downside, apparel output fell 1.3% (-5.6% y/y) following a 3.7% drop and textile production declined 0.6% (+0.4% y/y) after a 2.1% jump.

The special aggregate series indicated that production in high technology industries improved 0.2% (0.7% y/y) after two months of strong increase. Computers & office equipment production fell 2.9% (+3.5% y/y), down for the third month in four, but communications equipment production edged 0.1% higher (-5.7% y/y) after declining sharply in four of the prior five months. Manufacturing production, excluding both high-tech and autos, improved 0.1% (0.6% y/y) following a 0.2% rise.

The capacity utilization rate declined to 77.0% and remained below the recovery high of 79.0% reached one year ago. Mining sector utilization moved lower m/m to 79.4% and remained down from its 91.7% high reached last December. In the factory sector, the capacity utilization rate eased m/m to 76.2%. Industrial capacity increased 1.5% y/y, and by 1.2% in the factory sector.

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.