WASHINGTON, Mar 16 (Reuters): US industrial production jumped 1.1 per cent in February, the largest increase in four months, due to a weather-related rebound in construction and a rise in output from the nation's oil and gas fields and mines.
Manufacturing output rose 1.2 per cent, the biggest gain since October, the Federal Reserve said in its monthly report.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a 0.3 per cent rise in industrial production. Output for January was revised down to a decline of 0.3 per cent from the previous 0.1 per cent drop.
The US central bank's measure of the industrial sector comprises manufacturing, mining, and electric and gas utilities.
February's increase in output was driven by a 2.3 per cent rise in construction supplies and a recovery in the output of business equipment, which had stalled in the prior three months.
The utilities index fell nearly 5.0 per cent after a wave of unseasonably warm weather reduced demand for heating.
Manufacturing output edged up 1.2 per cent and mining production surged 4.3 per cent.
In the 12 months through February overall industrial output rose 4.4 per cent.
The percentage of industrial capacity in use rose 0.7 percentage point in February to 78.1 per cent, the highest since January 2015.
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