Factory Orders Surge Higher in November

Washington, DC, Jan. 4, 2011 -- Factory orders rose in November, as businesses responded to stronger demand from consumers, according to the Commerce Department.

Excluding a drop in demand for airplanes and autos, factory orders jumped by the largest amount in eight months.

The government said that total orders rose 0.7% in November, rebounding from a 0.7% drop in October.

Excluding transportation, orders were up 2.4%. The November increase left total orders at $424.5 billion, which is 20.4% above the recession low, hit in March 2009.