Factory Orders Fall in May

U.S. factory orders declined 1.4% in April, the biggest drop since March 2009, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The increase followed a revised 1% gain in April that was smaller than originally reported.

The decline was larger than economists’ forecasts of a 0.5% decrease, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, fell 0.6%, while non-durables orders such as oil and food dropped 2.1%.

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