US industrial output up 0.3% for December

Industrial production rose 0.3 percent in December, but 1979 was the most sluggish production year since 1974, according to the Federal Reserve Board. The small gain in the output of the nation's factories, mines, and utilities reversed two consecutive months of small declines. It also supported administration forecasts that the overall economy expanded slightly during last year's final quarter, to delay once again the onset of an anticipated recession.