Manufacturing & Production
Industrial production, capacity utilization, factory orders, capital-goods shipments, and electricity generation — the hard data on whether the productive economy is expanding or contracting. Sourced live from the Federal Reserve’s G.17 release, the Census Bureau’s M3 survey (via FRED), the BLS CPI series, and the EIA Monthly Energy Review.
Latest data: …
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Tip: click any legend label below a chart to hide or show that series. Each chart can be downloaded as a CSV or embedded into a blog post. The time range applies to all six charts at once. The electricity chart is a 12-month moving average against CPI Electricity (right axis) and starts in 2005 (when EIA monthly history begins).
U.S. Industrial Production — Monthly
(Index 2017 = 100; Seasonally Adjusted; M-M % Change Bars + Total Index Y-Y % Line)
Source: Federal Reserve G.17 via FRED — INDPRO (Total), IPMAN (Manufacturing), IPXXX001S (Manufacturing ex Motor Vehicles).
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Industrial Production — Long Run
(Y-Y % Change Line, Left Axis — Cycle View; M-M % Change Bars, Right Axis — Volatility)
Source: Federal Reserve G.17 via FRED — INDPRO. Y-Y line draws above bars (line-on-top plugin).
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Capacity Utilization
(Percent of Potential Output Currently in Use; Seasonally Adjusted; Lower = More Slack in the Real Economy)
Source: Federal Reserve G.17 via FRED — TCU (Total Index), MCUMFN (Manufacturing). Long-run average around 80%; recessions push the line into the low-70s.
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U.S. Factory Orders — Monthly % Change
(Manufacturers’ New Orders; Seasonally Adjusted; Total Manufacturing / Mfg Ex. Trans. = “Core” / Durable Goods / Core Durable / Nondurable / Core Capex Orders)
Source: Census M3 via FRED — AMTMNO (Total), AMXTNO (Mfg ex Trans), DGORDER (Durable), ADXTNO (Durable ex Trans), AMNMNO (Nondurable; orders = shipments by Census convention), NEWORDER (Core Capex = Nondef. Capital Goods ex Aircraft).
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Value of Shipments — Capital Goods
(Manufacturers’ Value of Shipments; Seasonally Adjusted; M-M %; Nondef. ex Aircraft = “Core Capex”)
Source: Census M3 via FRED — ATCGVS (Total Capital Goods), ANDEVS (Nondefense Capital Goods), ANXAVS (Nondef. Cap. Goods Ex Aircraft — the “core capex” gauge analysts watch).
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Total Electricity Net Generation
(Electric Power Sector; 12-Month Moving Average; CPI Electricity Index 1982-84 = 100, Right Axis)
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Monthly Energy Review — net generation (sectorid 99 / Total Electric Power, all fuels) in million kWh. CPI Electricity from BLS via FRED (CUUR0000SEHF01).
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