US industry surged back to life in 2017, posting the biggest increase in output in seven years, with the largest gain in the mining sector, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

Industrial production rose 3.6 percent for the year on an 11.5 percent surge in mining activity, and a 2.4 percent gain in manufacturing.

For the final month of the year, total output rebounded 0.9 percent compared to November, on a large jump in utilities, far stronger than even the most optimistic analysts were expecting.

Source: AFP