United States Capacity Utilization

Last Release

Mar 31, 2024

Actual

78.4

Units In

78.2

Frequency

Monthly

Next Release

May 16, 2024

Time to Release

29 Days 3 Hours

Highest	Lowest	Average	Date Range	Source
89.4 Jan 1967	63.4 Apr 2020	79.96 %	1967-2024	Federal Reserve

Capacity utilization rate is used to measure the rate at which potential output levels are being met or used. The capacity indexes cover all facilities located in the United States, regardless of their ownership; and are constructed for 89 detailed industries (71 in manufacturing, 16 in mining, and 2 in utilities).

Latest Updates

Capacity utilization rate in the US edged up to 78.4% in March 2024 from a downwardly revised 78.2% in February, and slightly below forecasts of 78.5%.The rate is now 1.2 percentage points below its long-run average. Capacity utilization for manufacturing moved up 0.3 percentage point to 77.4%, a rate that is 0.8 percentage point below its long-run average. The operating rate for mining fell 1.3 percentage points to 91%, while the operating rate for utilities increased 1.2 percentage points to 69.1%. The rate for mining was 4.5 percentage points above its long-run average, while the rate for utilities remained substantially below its long-run average.