Euro-Region Industrial Output Unexpectedly Increases

Euro-region industrial production unexpectedly increased for a second month in August, led by rising output in countries including Italy and France.

Output in the 17-member euro area rose 0.6 percent from July, when it also increased by that amount, the European Union’s statistics office in Luxembourg said today. Economists had projected a drop of 0.4 percent, the median of 36 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey showed. From a year ago, output slipped 2.9 percent after a 2.8 percent decline in July.