Factory Orders Decline 1.9% in January

U.S. factory orders fell for a sixth straight month in January, declining 1.9%, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The downturn followed a revised 4.9% drop in December that was bigger than the 3.9% decline originally reported.

Economists had forecast a 3.5% decline in January, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods orders, which make up about half of factory orders, fell 4.5%. Excluding transportation orders, which tend to be volatile, orders fell 0.9%, following a 5.4% drop.

The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.