US capacity utilization inched up to 76.3% in July 2026, its highest reading in a year, from a revised 76.2% in June, in line with market expectations. Despite the slight improvement, the rate remained 3.1 percentage points below its 1972–2025 historical average.
By major sector, utilities posted the largest gain, rising 0.2 percentage points to 70%, though this level also stayed beneath its long-run norm. Manufacturing utilization ticked up 0.1 percentage point to 76%. Mining utilization likewise increased 0.1 percentage point, reaching 86.1% and standing 0.9 percentage points above its long-term average.
