US industrial production growth lowest since recession

14 Jun 2013 by Jim Fickett.

The annual growth rate of US industrial production, as of May, was 1.5%. That is an ambiguous reading – there have been many times at the onset of recession when the index was around that level, but there have also been many times during periods of recovery when it was around that level. What is perhaps most concerning is that the general trend in the growth rate since early 2010 has been down, and the current reading sets a new low for the current recovery. Unlike most commentators, I think the recovery is gradually weakening, and this is one more point in favor of that view.