Manufacturing output down in March

As a whole, industrial production increased 0.3 percent in March after a downwardly revised gain of 0.2 percent in February, the Federal Reserve reported today. However, in the manufacturing sector, output edged down 0.1 percent in March, in part because of a drop in motor vehicle production. The output of automotive products tumbled 3.6 percent after a surge of 6.3 percent in February.

In March the factory operating rate fell from February's 78.2 percent to 78.0 percent.