The industrial operating rate edged downward.

September’s decline marked the fifth month out of the past six in which factory use has dropped, the Federal Reserve Board said. The Federal Reserve reported that the nation’s factories, mines and utilities operated at 80.2% of capacity in September, down 0.3 percentage point from the August level. While factory use had climbed to 80.5% of capacity in August, this 0.3 point increase was the first gain since March. Operating rates have been weak this year, reflecting the battering that U.S. manufacturers have taken at the hands of foreign competition.