Washington, DC, January 4, 2006--Factories rose 2.5 percent in November, in line with forecasts, as strong demand for civilian aircraft offset weakness in cars and machinery, a Commerce Department report showed on Wednesday.
Orders for durable goods, expensive items meant to last three years or longer, rose 4.4 percent in November, unchanged from a report Dec. 23.
Much of November's strength came from civilian aircraft. New orders for transportation equipment rose 15.8 percent as nondefense aircraft and parts orders surged 134.3 percent. At the same time, defense aircraft and parts orders slid 42.9 percent and car and parts orders dropped 7.8 percent.
It was the weakest reading for auto orders since December 2002, when orders tumbled 11.4 percent.
When transportation orders were stripped out, factory orders were flat in November, the report showed. Excluding defense, orders rose 3.3 percent in the month.
