U.S. factory production climbs more than expected

Production at U.S. factories continues to increase -- an improvement that further confirms that the U.S. economy is recovering.

Output at U.S. factories rose 0.7 percent in September -- led by impressive increases in auto, mines, and metals output -- the U.S. Federal Reserve announced Friday. What's more, industrial production rose at a 5.2 percent annual rate in Q3 -- the metric's first quarterly increase since the recession started in December 2007. Excluding autos, industrial production rose 0.5 percent in September and 3.8 percent in Q3.