Report: US Manufacturing Regains Some Strength

VOA News
24 Sep 2004

A measure of future manufacturing activity in the United States rose in August.
Friday's Commerce Department report says orders for most durable goods jumped 2.3 percent in the month.

These figures exclude a decline in orders for civilian aircraft. Experts often set those volatile transportation figures aside because they change drastically from month to month, confusing the underlying economic trend.

Including aircraft sales makes the overall durable goods figures show a half-percent decrease in August. Durable goods are expensive items intended to last at least three years.

Manufacturing makes up about one eighth of the U.S. economy. The sector has lost millions of jobs over the past four years, but seems to be regaining some strength lately.

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