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Manufacturing Falls 0.3% as U.S. Industrial Output Holds Steady

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 10:45 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. industrial production held steady in August 2026 as manufacturing fell 0.3%.
The manufacturing decline was the first monthly drop after seven consecutive months of growth.
Capacity utilization remained at 76.3%, 3.1 points below its long-run average.
Utilities output rose 1.8% in August, up from 0.5% in July.
Bernard Yaros of Oxford Economics said AI infrastructure build-out could keep manufacturing demand strong despite higher rates.

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Story summary

U.S. industrial production held steady in August 2026 as manufacturing fell 0.3%.
The manufacturing decline was the first monthly drop after seven consecutive months of growth.
Capacity utilization remained at 76.3%, 3.1 points below its long-run average.
Utilities output rose 1.8% in August, up from 0.5% in July.
Bernard Yaros of Oxford Economics said AI infrastructure build-out could keep manufacturing demand strong despite higher rates.