U.S. Factory Orders Rise 2.9% in May, Commerce Says

The number of orders placed with U.S. factories rose 2.9% in May, the Commerce Department reported.

The increase followed 0.7% rises in March and April, Commerce said.

The report said that orders for computers and machinery fell, while requests for cars and steel were flat during May. Demand for household appliances, airplanes and parts, food, clothing and household appliances rose during the month.

If transportation goods, like aircraft, trucks and vehicle components, are excluded, factory orders fell 0.1% in May, an improvement over April’s decline of 0.4%, Commerce said.