Factory Orders Jump 2.4% in December

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Factory orders jumped 2.4% in December on higher demand for business equipment, motor vehicles and aircraft, the Commerce Department said Friday.The increase followed a revised 1.2% increase in November that had originally been reported as a 0.9% gain.Excluding transportation orders, bookings rose 2.2% after falling 0.4% the month before. The overall gain was higher than the 1.9% forecasted by economists, Bloomberg reported.Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, rose 2.9% after a 2.2% gain in November.The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.