Factory Output Flat Again In June

By Mark Memmott

Published July 15, 2011 at 9:25 AM EDT

There was no change in output at the nation's manufacturers last month, the Federal Reserve just reported.

A flat June followed a scant 0.1 percent increase in May and a 0.5 percent decline in output in April, the Fed adds.

Another sign of sogginess in the factory sector: previously, the Fed had estimated that production rose 0.4 percent in May from April. The new estimate — of that 0.1 percent rise — marks a significant downward revision.

Reuters says manufacturing is still being dragged down in part by "supply disruptions in the auto sector" after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Mark Memmott

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.

See stories by Mark Memmott