Chicago Fed Manufacturing Index Rises

The bank also revised the December figure upwards, from a gain of 1.7% to 2.2%. The gain in auto manufacturing in January totaled 4.1%, higher than the 3.3% gain posted in December. In the 12 months to January 2012, automobile manufacturing was up 17.5%.

The Midwest remains America’s industrial heartland, and manufacturing in the region has outperformed all other sections of the country over the past 12 months. For the preceding 12 months, Midwest manufacturing has grown by 9.1%, nearly double the national average of 4.7%.