Achieving their highest level since 1992, new orders for manufactured goods totaled $399.8 billion in October, up 2.2% from September, the U.S. Commerce Department reported on Dec. 6. In September, new orders had declined 1.4%. October's gain was exactly in line with economists' expectations.
New orders for manufactured durable goods, generally big-ticket items designed to last at least three years, rose 3.7% in October to $215 billion, a larger increase than the 3.4% the department initially reported. New orders for non-durable manufactured goods increased half a percentage point to $184.7 billion in October.
