WASHINGTON: New orders for US manufactured goods fell for the second month in a row in January as civilian aircraft and computer orders slid, official data released Thursday showed.
New factory orders fell 0.7 percent in January after a revised 2.0 percent drop in December, the Commerce Department said.
Analysts had projected a smaller 0.5 percent decline in orders. The December number was worse than the previous estimate of a 1.5 percent drop.
New orders have fallen in three of the last four months.
Excluding transportation equipment orders, which can be volatile month-over-month, factory orders edged up 0.2 percent in January following a slight decline the prior month.
Orders for civilian aircraft and parts dropped 20.2 percent and those for ships and boats fell 26.4 percent.
Computer orders posted the steepest decline, plunging 46.0 percent.
Orders for durable goods -- items aimed at a useful life of several years which make up about half of all factory orders -- fell 1.0. percent after a plunge of 5.3 percent in December.
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