AI Data Insight
The newly released US Consumer Goods Industrial Production Index for the second quarter of 2026 (Q2 2026) fell from 98.0 in the previous period to 97.4, decoupling from the strong rebound in overall industrial production driven by AI and automobiles. High inflation and energy costs continue to erode consumer purchasing power, putting downward pressure on the production of end-consumer goods such as nondurable goods.