WASHINGTON — American industry expanded for the fourth consecutive month in January but has yet to recover fully to the level of activity that preceded the pandemic.
U.S. industrial production, which includes output factories, mines and utilities, rose 0.9% last month, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday. That followed increases of 1.3% in December, 0.9% in November and 1.1% in October.
While the January activity was greater than most economists had projected, it was 1.8% below production in January 2020, reflecting lingering economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic.
