Durable Goods Orders Up Slightly in November

Washington, DC, December 27, 2007—Orders for durable goods from U.S. factories rose less than expected in November, according to the Commerce Department.

Orders for durable goods increased by 0.1 percent last month, after a 0.4 percent decrease in October. The November increase marked the first increase in durable-goods orders in the last four months, although economists were expecting a bump of 2.2 percent.

Excluding orders for cars and trucks, which can swing widely, demand for all other high-ticket goods fell by 0.7 percent in November, marking the second straight monthly decline.

Orders for machinery, computers and electronic products, communications equipment, defense aircraft and fabricated metal products all posted declines in November. However, those losses were more than offset by gains in demand for electrical equipment and appliances, automobiles, commercial airplanes and primary metals, including steel.

Demand for capital goods dropped by 0.4 percent in November, the second consecutive monthly decline.