Factory Orders Off

Washington, DC, December 5, 2006–Orders for U.S. factory goods fell by 4.7% in October, the latest evidence of contraction in the factory sector, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

Excluding transportation, however, orders for U.S.-made factory goods fell by 0.8%.

Taking out orders for defense goods, orders fell by 3.6% in October. It was the biggest overall drop in factory orders since July 2000