By Greg Robb
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The output of the nation's factories, mines and utilities rose 0.8% in March, the Federal Reserve said Friday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected a 0.6% increase. This is the fifth straight gain. Factory activity alone rose 0.7% in March, for the ninth straight monthly gain. Capacity utilization - a gauge of slack in the economy - jumped to 77.4% in March from 76.9% in February. This is the highest level since July 2008 but still below the average rate of 80.4% from 1972 through 2010. In the first quarter, production accelerated to a 6% rate from a 3.2% pace in the final three months of 2010.
