Declines in demand for aircraft, autos offset strength in other areas
WASHINGTON - Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket durable goods posted a smaller-than-expected increase in November as declines in demand for aircraft and autos offset strength in a number of other areas.
The gains outside of transportation were an encouraging sign that manufacturing is beginning to revive and will contribute to pulling the economy out of a steep recession.
The Commerce Department says that orders for durable goods edged up 0.2 percent last month, weaker than the 0.5 percent gain economists had expected. However, excluding transportation, orders rose 2 percent over the October level, double what economists had forecast.
