US industrial production falls again in March

US industrial production fell for a second consecutive month in February, weighed down by a sharp drop in mining and a fall in manufacturing, the Federal Reserve reported Friday. Total industrial output fell 0.6 percent, the same decline as in February. All major industry groups registered pullbacks in March, led by mining, which dived 2.9 percent, its largest monthly loss since September 2008 when production was curbed because of hurricanes, the Fed noted.