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FEDERAL RESERVE statistical release
For immediate release
April 16, 1982

G.3 (402)

CAPACITY UTILIZATIONS MANUFACTURING AND MATERIALS
March 1982

Capacity utilization in manufacturing declined 0.6 of a percentage point
in March to 71*4 percent, following an increase of 1.0 percentage point in February
when production by manufacturers rebounded from the sharp, partially weatherrelated drop the preceding month• The operating rate for producers of industrial
materials fell 1.0 percentage point to 71,0 percent in March, after rising 0«7 of a
percentage point in February* Despite its decline in March, the manufacturing
operating rate remained somewhat above its January low of 71.0 percent, but the
March rate for materials was lower than it has been since May 1975*
Within manufacturing, declines in utilization rates were widespread. The
rate for the advanced processing industries decreased 0.3 of a percentage point to
73«6 percent, and the rate for the primary processing industries dropped 1.1
percentage points to 67«5 percent• Operating rates declined substantially for producers of primary metals, aerospace and miscellaneous transportation equipment,
nonelectrical machinery, and instruments• Capacity utilization rates rose in March
for producers of petroleum products and of motor vehicles and parts, although both
of those industries still were operating at sharply curtailed levels.
The utilization rate for producers of durable goods materials dropped 1.0
percentage point in March to 66.2 percent, reflecting sizable declines in the output of basic metals and the production of parts for equipment. Producers of
nondurable goods materials utilized 73.2 percent of their capacity in March, down
0.8 of a percentage point from the February rate; this cutback was associated with
reductions in textile and chemical materials production* The operating rate for
energy materials producers dropped 0.9 of a percentage point in March to 81.9 percent,
as crude petroleum extraction was curtailed.




MANUFACTURING

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS

i 1 1 I 1

_LJ_L

pfmmv PROCESSING

1

60
100

r i

i

i i i

NONDURABLE GOODS

DURABLE GOODS

till
1970

I i I 1
1973

I
1S79

I I I i i
1Q7S

1Q7Q

i

i

OUTPUT, CAPACITY AND CAPACITY UTILIZATION
Output and Capacity are Percentages of 1967 Output; Capacity Utilization is a Per Cent of Capacity.
Seasonally Adjusted

Manufacturing
MONTHLY CAPACITY
SERIES

MANUFACTUBING,

19731

i

TOTAL

HA&.

.APE,

HAY

JUNE

JULY

AOG.

69.0

79.8

79.8

80.0

79.6

79.8

I
88.0§

i

UTILIZATION

1981

1975
™£»9JLJ

s8

SE,P^ .

occ.

-IS!*—

79.6

78-3

76.6

74.8

1982
JAN.

FEB.

»A8.

73.1

71.0

72.0

71.4

68.1

68.6

£7.5

72.8

73.9

!

PRIMASST PBQCESSING

93.8|

68.2

80.8

80.7

80.6

79.5

80.1

79.9

78.2

75.7

72.7

69.6

ADVANCED PBOCESSING

8
85.51

69.4

79.2

79«4

79.8

79.7

79.8

79.4

78.3

77.0

75.8

75.0
I

OOTPOT

1981
151.3

iAHUFACTUBXNG, TOTAL

||

III

152.4

152.5

8
1981
19828
. I
11
11
8
8
189.4
145.08 139*58
8
8

PBQCISSING

ADVANCED PBOCESSING

157.5

156.5

155.8

148.1

150.2

150.7

^1

III

190.9

192.4

1

i

PKJilBI

CAPACXTX

143o5| 135.2J 193.8
I
8
145.81 142.18 187.1

195.0

196.3

188.7

190»4

L

I?
8
193.98
8
1
197.54
8
192.0J
j

8
19828
Ii
8
195.28
8
I
196.68
I
193.58
,
f

UTILIZATION

1982
I

1981
79.9

U,

III

79.8

79.3

IV
74.8J
8

7U5

j

81.3

80.3

79.4

79.1

79.6

79.2

72.7|
J
75.9 8

I

68»1
73.4

Industrial Materials
HONTHLX CAPACITY
19731

SEEIES

LJH£I1*
i
HATERXALS, TOTAL

DUHABlE GOODS HATEBIALS
HBTAL JlAiHEBIALS

MOMDUBABLE GOODS HATEBIALS
TEX.,

PAPEB, & CHEH. HAT.

1975

UTILIZATION

1981
MAiU

AP£ n

HAY

J0NE

JULY

81.3

31.9

81.6

80,0

79.2

78.8

79.3

79.4

77.3

74.7

72.2

80.3

78.7

79.5

83.0

79-1

73.9

70.8

85.6

84.3

83.9

83.0

82-9

80.3

77.3

85.4

83.5

83.2

82.3

82.1

79.1

75.9

81.7
93.9
84.3

80.5
93.0
82.0

82.0
92.9
81.2

82.3
93.6
79.7

81.3
95-7
79.2

78.8
92.1
76.2

75.5
92.3
72.4

79.7

83.7

86.2

85.6

83.0

82.5

92.61
8
i
91.51

69.4

82o1

81.1

81.1

63.6

79.2

78.8

98.3|
1
8
94.51
8
95.18

68.6

83.9

79.9

67.2

85.4

85.9

65.3

85.0

85.5

57.9
72.4
64.2

81.5
95.3
83.4

81.9
94.9
84.1

84.8

85.2

79.9

77.7

75.5

I

TEXTILE M T E B I A L S
PAPSB HATEBIALS
CHEHICAL HITE£XALS

SMEBGY

I
|
1

flATEBXALS

J

i

92.6|
99.4|
95.51
8
1
94.6|

•

OUTPUT
1981
I

£J

XIX

154.2

153.4

154.3

| 150.9

152.3

152.8

Ji
HATEBIALS, TOTAL

DUBABLS GOODS HATEBIALS

1982
I

1981

144.0| 137.6 i 187.6
4
8
140.21 130.6 191.8

III

189.0

190.3

192.9

194.2

82.2
JI

CAPACITY
TI

4

Noy.

AUG.

1982
I
8
191.54 192.6
8
8
195.31 196.4

1982
JAN.

1

72.4J ' 71.3
4
8
68-51
66*1
•
65.54
65.6
4
8
74.il| 72.7
72.2J1 70; 1
•
72.0J 68.6
87.5
86.5|
69.01 66.6
I
8
84.0
81.6J
1
UTILIZATION

HAiB.

72.0

?1eO

67.. 2

6£C2

64.8
74.0

73*2

71.3

70.8

71.7
87.9
67.5
82.8

.81.9

1981
I

*i

III

82.2

81.2

81.1

78.7

78.9

78-7

75.28
8
8
71.84

83.0

79.6

80.5

70.1}

86.5

85.3

83.3

4
77. 24

1.982
IV
71.4
66.5

•

METAL HATBfflXALS

NONDUBABLE GOODS HATEBIALS

I 117.5

112.8

114.2

| 179.2

178.4

175.8

99.5!
8
164.51 157.4

I 141.5

141.7

141.9

207.3

209.2

211.2

•

TEX.,

PAPEB, & CHEH. HAT.

TEXTILE HATEBIALS
PAPER HATEBIALS
CHEHICAL HATEBIALS

| 186.7

185.9

182.8

| 114.8
8 151.4
I 232.7

114.5
151.0
231.6

115.5
152.2
224.9

I 130.9

125.1

131.6

169-48 159.6 217.1
1
140. 1
106.88
| 159.7
147.01
I 274.1
206.28
1
1
127.91 129.7 ! 153.5
1

219.4

221.7

140*6
160.7
277.5

141.0
161.9
281.0

154.3

155-0

142.11
4
1
213.11 214.6
1
223.98 225.6i
1
141*68
I
162.81
284.48
4
8
155.81 156.5
i

73.3

J

86.0

84.8

82.5

75.78

?0«7

81.9
94.8
84.9

81.4
93.9
83.5

81.8
94.1
80-0

85.3

81.1

84.9

75.44
90.31
72.58
4
8
82.14

82«£

SNEfiGY

HAXEBIALS

NOTES

SSTIHATES OF ACTUAL OUTPUT AND CAPACITY OUTPUT ABE BOTH EXPRESSED AS PERCENTAGES OF 1967 ACTUAL OUTPUT. ESTIMATES OF
CAPACITY UTILIZATION IN PEfiCENT ABE CALCULATED AS RATIOS OF (1) THE FEDERAL BSSEBVSaS SEASONALLY ADJUSTED INDEXES OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION TO (2) THE CORRESPONDING INDEXES OF CAPACITY. INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS ABE XTEHS BOSH PRODUCED AND OSED AS INPUTS BY HANUFACTUBING PLANTS, HINES AND UTILITIES; INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS COVBfl MANY OF THE XTEHS REPRESENTED IN THE PB1HAAY
PROCESSING GBOUPING OF HANUFACTUBING AS HELL AS SOHS OF THE OUTPUT OF HINES AND UTILITIES — SUCH AS IBON ORE* CRUDE OIL, AND
ELECTRICITY SOLD TO XNDUSTBY.
TBS 1973 HIGHS AND 1975 LOHS IN CAPACITY UTILIZATION, SHOHN IN THE TABLES ABOVE, ABE SPECIFIC 10 EACH SERIES AND HAY OCCUR JN
DIFFEBENT MONTHS. INDUSTRIAL PLANTS USUALLY OPEBATE AT CAPACITY UTILIZATION BATES THAT ABE HELL BELOB 100 PEfiCENT; NONE Of
THE BROAD AGGREGATE SEBIES HAS EVEB INDICATED A 100 PEBCEHT USE OF CAPACITY. CAPACITY UTILIZATION BATES AVEBAGED ABOUT 83
PERCENT FOB HANUFACTUBING FBOH 1955 THBOUGH 1979, AND ABOUT 85 PSBCENT FOB INDUSTRIAL HATEBIALS FOB 1967 THBOUGH 1979. IN
HANUFACTUBING AS A WHOLE, UTILIZATION BATES AS HIGH AS 90 PEBCENT HAVE BEEN EXCEEDED ONLY IN HABSIHE. THE PEAK BATES OF UTILIZATION IN 1973 HEBE ASSOCIATED HITH SIGNIFICANT UPiA£O PBESSUBB ON PRICES,
THE METHODOLOGY AND THE SEEIES ABE DESCRIBED IN FBQEBAL RESERVE HEASUBBS O£ CAPACITY AND CAPACITY UTILIZATION, REVISED DATA
ABE FOUND IN "CAPACITY UTILIZATIONS HANUFACTUBXNG AND HATEBIALS, JANUARY 1967—DECEASES 1978.« BOTH PUBLICATIONS HAY BE -OBTAINED FBOH PUBLICATIONS SERVICES, BOARD OF GOVEBNORS OF THE FEDERAL BiSBlfE SYSTEH, HASfllNGTOM, D.C. 20551