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Industrial Production
Factory orders up for third straight month as manufacturing rebounds
New orders for goods from U.S. factories increased in April for the third consecutive month, signaling a rebound in the manufacturing sector after a weather-related winter slowdown. Factory orders rose 0.7% in April compared with March, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, exceeding economists' projections for a 0.5% increase. The value of those orders hit a new record of $499 billion. Orders are a sign of future activity and are watched closely in the manufacturing sector because of their importance to the economy. Extreme weather in much of the nation led to drops in new orders in December and January. Growth returned in February, with orders rising 1.7%. Orders increased...
Related "Industrial Production" Articles
Factory orders up for third straight month as manufacturing rebounds
New orders for goods from U.S. factories increased in April for the third consecutive month, signaling a rebound in the manufacturing sector after a weather-related winter slowdown.
Factory orders rose 0.7% in April compared with March, the Commerce...
Sustainable housing an evolving term for architects
It's been more than 40 years since architects started embracing green design principles. Spurred by the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s, architects began to think about building homes that were more environmentally friendly.
Today, green...
Free trade on steroids: The threat of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Many supporters of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, trade agreement are arguing that its fate rests on President Obama's bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Japan this week. If Japan and the United States can sort out...
Drought in California may hinder job growth for years, economists say
The ongoing drought in California could dampen employment growth in coming years and have a ripple effect on several industries in the state, according to a UCLA report released Wednesday.
Economists said in the quarterly forecast that arid conditions in...
Factory output surged last month, boosting industrial production
WASHINGTON — Factories heated up last month, unexpectedly posting their biggest output gains since last summer and helping overall industrial production reverse a weather-related January decline, the Federal Reserve said Monday.
Manufacturing output...
Stocks close higher, S&P 500 sets another record
More promising signs that the economy is strengthening after its winter slowdown pushed stocks higher on Tuesday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose for the fourth straight day and ended at another all-time high. It closed above 1,900 for the...
There are better job creators than high-speed rail
To the editor: I believe that Madeline Janis has it all wrong. I have no issue with her recommendation that the U.S. develop the capability to manufacture high-speed rail cars and "high-tech aluminum trains." ("High-speed job creation for...
Durable goods orders up 3.6% in May, a good sign for manufacturing
WASHINGTON -- Orders for airplanes, computers and other long-lasting durable goods rose more than expected in May, the third increase in four months and a sign of strengthening in the vital manufacturing sector.
Durable goods orders rose 3.6% in May from...
Manufacturing sector expanded in July at fastest pace in two years
WASHINGTON -- Factories heated up last month as the manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest pace in two years, the Institute for Supply Management said Thursday.
The group's purchasing managers index jumped to 55.4 in July from 50.9 the previous...
Manufacturing growth unexpectedly picks up in August, ISM says
WASHINGTON -- Growth in the key manufacturing sector unexpectedly picked up last month from an already strong pace as factories saw a surge in new orders, the Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday.
The group's purchasing managers' index, which...
Unlike previous years, new iPhones slow to sell out
Did you forget to pre-order the iPhone 5c last night? Don't fret -- there seems to be plenty left on Apple's website.
Preorders kicked off Friday for the iPhone 5c, one of two new iPhones Apple announced earlier this week. The iPhone 5c comes in five...
Durable goods orders bounce back in April, jumping 3.3%
WASHINGTON -- Orders for airplanes, appliances, computers and other long-lasting durable goods jumped 3.3% in April after a sharp decline the previous month, a positive sign for the economic recovery.
The increase was the second in three months for an...
Durable goods orders rose more than forecast in June
WASHINGTON -- Orders for long-lasting durable goods such as airplanes and electronics rose much more than expected in June, a positive sign for economic growth in the second half of the year.
The Commerce Department said Thursday that durable goods...
Durable goods orders jump 3.5% in November
In the latest evidence of a rebound in manufacturing, orders for durable goods jumped 3.5% in November, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.
Orders for manufactured durable goods -- products that are expected to last three years or more --...
California exports jump to pre-recession levels
SACRAMENTO — California's exports are booming, and companies are shipping goods at levels not reached since before the Great Recession six years ago.
In November alone, Golden State businesses shipped merchandise worth $15.2 billion, a 14% jump over...
U.S. manufacturers poised to ramp up spending
WASHINGTON -- U.S. industrial production last year grew faster than the overall economy, speeding up especially in the fourth quarter. Yet factories added only about 60,000 jobs over the year, just one-third the rate of growth for all employers.
Part...
As plastic-bag ban looms, L.A. plans to give out totes
With a plastic-bag ban set to go into effect in Los Angeles on the first of the new year, city officials are launching a campaign to get residents in the habit of using reusable totes.
The city has teamed up with environmental groups and nonprofit...
Kickstarter campaign for U.S.-made blue laces funds in 10 hours
It looks as if the blue shoelace gained some serious traction in the bid to become a symbolic yellow ribbon of support of American manufacturing on Tuesday, with a 30-day Kickstarter campaign fully funded in less than half a day.
The Bluelace...
Sriracha odor complaints: No ruling from judge on shutdown
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge made no ruling Friday whether to grant the city of Irwindale's request to temporarily halt production at the Sriracha hot sauce plant because of odor complaints.
Judge Robert H. O'Brien said he would take the...
Big jumps in higher-paying factory, construction jobs boost optimism
WASHINGTON -- Big gains in factory and construction jobs last month have experts optimistic that the labor market is starting to produce enough higher-paying jobs to fuel stronger economic growth.
"It's not just the quantity of the jobs but the...
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