2007

Industrial production was unchanged in May after a smaller revised increase of 0.4 percent in April. Output in the manufacturing sector edged up 0.1 percent in May, and mining output moved up 0.5 percent after declining 0.6 percent in April.
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At 112.7 percent of its 2002 average, overall industrial production for May was 1.6 percent above its year-earlier level. The rate of capacity utilization for total industry fell 0.2 percentage point, to 81.3 percent, a level 0.3 percentage point above its 1972-2006 average.
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Market Groups
The output of consumer goods decreased 0.2 percent in May after having risen 0.8 percent in April. The production of consumer durables edged down 0.1 percent in May, and the output of nondurables fell 0.3 percent. …

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods increased 0.9 percent in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. This advance followed a 0.7-percent rise in April and a 1.0-percent increase in March.

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The index for finished goods excluding foods and energy moved up 0.2 percent in May after remaining unchanged in April. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods increased 1.1 percent in May after advancing 0.9 percent a month earlier, and the crude goods index turned up 2.0 percent following a decline of 1.5 percent in April.
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Among finished goods, the index for consumer goods less foods and energy moved up 0.3 percent in May after inching down 0.1 percent in the previous …

The industrial producer price index rose by 0.4% in the euro area in April 2007. In March, prices increased by 0.3%.

In April 2007, compared with April 2006, industrial producer prices gained 2.4% in the euro area.

The highest monthly increases were registered in Bulgaria and Greece (1.9%) and Denmark (1.8%). Decreases were recorded in the United Kingdom (-0.8%), Slovakia (-0.3%) and Belgium (-0.1%).

The highest year-over-year increases were recorded in Luxembourg (8.7%), Hungary (8%), Bulgaria (7.9%)&nbsp ; and Lithuania (7.3%). A decrease was registered in Denmark.

For more on European economic statistics, including industrial production, price indexes, construction output and industrial orders,&nbsp ; visit the MDM …

Canadian industries slightly increased the use of their production capacity during the first quarter of&nbsp ; 2007, halting four consecutive quarters of decline.

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Capacity utilization edged up from&nbsp ; 82.4% in the fourth quarter of&nbsp ; 2006&nbsp ; to&nbsp ; 83.0%. This level was&nbsp ; 3.0&nbsp ; points below the rate posted in the fourth quarter of&nbsp ; 2005, before the quarterly drops observed in&nbsp ; 2006.
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The industrial capacity utilization rate is the ratio of an industry’s actual output to its estimated potential output. For this release, rates have been revised back to the first quarter of&nbsp ; 2005&nbsp ; to reflect the revised source data.
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Production rose slightly in the large manufacturing sector, but capacity use …