Factory Orders Up Scant 0.1%

Factory orders and construction spending inched up slightly in April but showed no sign of a dramatic recovery from doldrums that have plagued both sectors of the economy in recent months, the Commerce Department said today.

New orders for manufactured goods were up just $200 million or 0.1% over the previous month, the Census Bureau said in a report. Excluding orders for defense capital goods, orders rose 1.6%. In a separate report, Commerce said new construction put in place rose 0.8% in April, 4% higher than a year ago.