Economy

Durable goods orders see uptick in January
Written by Stephanie Ritenbaugh
February 27, 2025
New orders for manufactured durable goods rose in January after two consecutive months of declines.
New orders gained 3.1% over December to reach $286.0 billion, according to the US Census Bureau.
The increase in January followed a 1.8% drop in December.
Orders for transportation equipment, also up following two consecutive monthly declines, led the uptick, adding 9.8% to reach $96.5 billion, according to Census data.
Excluding transportation, new orders were virtually unchanged. Excluding defense, new orders increased 3.5%, the Census Bureau said.


Stephanie Ritenbaugh
Read more from Stephanie RitenbaughLatest in Economy

House committee blocks GOP budget proposal
The budget proposal has big implications for steel and manufacturing.

Manufacturing in New York state contracts again in May
Manufacturing activity in New York state declined for the third consecutive month, according to the May Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Responding firms continue to forecast weaker business conditions in the coming months.

Chicago Business Barometer falls back in April, remains in contraction
The Chicago Business Barometer declined in April, reversing March’s gains, according to Market News International (MNI) and the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).

Fewer manufacturers optimistic about the economy
PMA’s April report shows that only 16% of surveyed manufacturers anticipate an increase in economic activity in the next three months (down from 23% in March)

Architecture billings continue to slide in March
Architecture firms said billings continued to decline in March, according to the latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI) released by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek.