November Factory Orders Fall 4.6%

U.S. factory orders fell 4.6% in November, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The downturn followed a revised 6% decline in October that was more than the 5.1% originally reported.

Economists had forecast a 2.3% decline, Bloomberg reported, and the back-to-back decline was the biggest since records began in 1992.

Durable goods orders, which make up about half of factory orders, fell 1.5%.

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