WIESBADEN, Germany —Industrial production in Germany rose 0.7 percent in September from August, in real terms and after seasonal and calendar adjustment, the Federal Statistical Office said in provisional data. The increase was led by a sharp rebound in automotive production, but total output still fell 0.4 percent in the third quarter from the second quarter.

Automotive production jumped 17.1 percent from August. The Federal Statistical Office, known as Destatis, said output in the sector had been low in the two previous months, partly because of production changeovers and factory holidays. Pharmaceutical production increased 8.0 percent after two weaker months.

The September gain was not broad-based. Construction output fell 2.6 percent, while machinery and equipment production declined 6.5 percent after rising 5.8 percent in August. Excluding energy and construction, industrial production increased 1.7 percent from August. Capital-goods production rose 3.0 percent, consumer-goods production rose 0.8 percent and intermediate-goods production increased 0.1 percent.

A rebound with limits

Compared with September of the previous year, industrial production was up 0.4 percent after calendar adjustment. Production excluding energy and construction rose 0.3 percent on the same basis. Energy production fell 1.2 percent from August.

August’s result was revised to a 1.0 percent monthly increase from a provisional 2.0 percent. Destatis attributed the revision to additional data from construction businesses submitted through advance turnover-tax returns.

Production in energy-intensive industrial branches rose 0.8 percent from August, but remained 1.9 percent below its year-earlier level. On a three-month comparison, output in those branches fell 3.5 percent in the third quarter from the second quarter.

The focus shifts to the ECB

The report offers a mixed signal for the broader European growth picture: September brought a clear monthly improvement, but the quarterly measure remained negative and some of the strongest gains reflected rebounds from earlier disruptions. The data therefore point to an uneven industrial recovery rather than a decisive turnaround.