U.S. industrial production fared much better than expected last month, the Federal Reserve said Friday, rising sharply as aircraft manufacturing rebounded after the end of a strike at Boeing.
Industrial output increased by 0.9% in December after rising by a revised 0.2% a month prior, the Fed said in a statement.
This was sharply above market expectations for a 0.3% rise in December, according to Briefing.com.
The return to growth of U.S. industrial production is welcome news for manufacturers, following a slump that started in September.
The Fed noted that "the resolution of a work stoppage at a major aircraft manufacturer" helped propel gains in the output of aircraft and parts, a reference to a recent strike at U.S. aviation giant Boeing.
The company's operations were hampered by a labor strike that shuttered two major assembly facilities in the Seattle region for more than seven weeks until mid-December.
"Manufacturing output rose 0.6% after gaining 0.4% in November," the Fed said.
Mining output surged 1.8% after contracting by 0.5% in November, and the index for utilities jumped 2.1%, fueled by a sharp rise in the index for natural gas.
"The majority of market groups posted gains in December," the Fed said, noting a 0.5% rise in the output of consumer goods.
All rights reserved ©2025 Agence France-Presse.
