Canadian industries operated at 83.3% of their production capacity in the first quarter, up from 81.8% in the previous quarter and the highest level since the third quarter of 2007.

Increases in capacity utilization in manufacturing, construction, and mining and quarrying more than offset the declines in oil and gas extraction and forestry and logging. Capacity utilization in electric power generation, transmission and distribution were unchanged.

The manufacturing industry drove the increase in the capacity utilization rate in the first quarter, operating at 83.4% of its capacity, up 1.5 percentage points from the previous quarter. The fabricated metal product manufacturing and food manufacturing industries were the primarily sources of that growth.

The capacity utilization rate rose in 15 of the 21 major manufacturing industries, representing approximately 80% of the gross domestic product in the manufacturing industry.