WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - U.S. bank profits were significantly higher in the third quarter than the first half of 2020, although the industry still lagged behind 2019 levels, a regulator reported Tuesday. The industry’s profits jumped 173% in the third quarter to $51.2 billion, after firms spent the first half of the year setting aside billions of dollars to offset expected pandemic-driven losses. But that amount is still 10.7% lower than 2019 levels, and roughly half of banks reported lower profits than a year prior. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)