U.S. Manufacturing Rebounds

The worst may be over for America’s manufacturers. New production figures Friday showed a solid second quarter after a long struggle under the global financial crisis.

The Federal Reserve reported that a modest rise in industrial production last month helped give manufacturing its best three months in more than a year. Economists hailed it as a sign of recovery after hard times that included the loss of 488,000 jobs since March 1998.

Output at the nation’s factories, mines and utilities posted a 0.2 percent rate of increase in June, matching the gain in May.

June’s performance left industrial output rising at an annual rate of 3.9 percent in the second quarter, the best showing since the end of 1997 and triple the rate for the first three months of this year.