Durable Goods Orders Down in December

Washington, DC, Jan. 27, 2011 — Orders for durable goods declined in December, falling 2.5%, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Excluding transportation, orders rose 0.5%.

The decrease surprised economists, who expected a 1.0% rise in durables. This is the fourth drop in durables in the last five months.

Transportation orders had the largest decline, falling 12.8%. Orders for core capital goods rose 1.4% in the month.