Industrial capacity utilization in the US rose to 76.9% in September 2026 from an upwardly revised 76.4% in August and above market expectations of 76.5%. Despite the improvement since the beginning of the year, the figure remained below its long-run average of 79.4%. Among the major sectors, the operating rate for utilities increased 2.3 percentage points to 73.8%, though it remained 10.2 percentage points below its historical average. The rate for mining was 2.3 percentage points above its long-run average, while the rate for utilities remained substantially below its long-run average. Capacity utilization for manufacturing increased 0.1 percentage point in September to 75.9 percent, a rate that is 2.3 percentage points below its long run average.