Industrial output in October rose at the fastest pace since January 2015 with 2.9 percent growth from the previous month as the negative effects of natural disasters on production waned, government data showed Friday.
The stronger-than-expected rise prompted the government to raise its basic assessment for the first time in about a year, saying output is "picking up slowly."
The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 105.9 against the 2015 base of 100, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report. The result followed a revised 0.4 percent fall in September.