Factory Orders Rise 0.8% in May

Factory orders rose 0.8% in May, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

The increase followed a revised 0.9% decrease in April that had originally been reported as a 1.2% decline.

The reading fell short of economists’ forecasts of a 1% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Manufacturing orders are showing signs of recovering from parts shortages stemming from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Bloomberg said.

Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, jumped 2.1%.

Capital goods orders excluding aircraft and military orders, a measure of future business investment, rose 1.6% following a 0.4% decline in April.

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